Betty Johnson

My sympathy to the Johnson family. Betty’s friendliness and faith were an inspiration to many of us. Dorothy L. Russell, Mechanicsville

Please accept my sympathy on the loss of Betty. She was one of a kind and involved in so many things. She was a leader and always seemed so happy, always had a smile on her face. We have lost an icon. You all are in my thoughts, Annamae Baker

Sorry to hear of Betty’s passing. She was a customer of mine at Lynch Ford. I was her salesman several times. She also made sure to hit me up for things she made to support the senior citizens in the Martelle area. I very much enjoyed the time I spent with her. She was a fun and caring person. She told me about her family like I had grown up with all of you. She was a great person. She will be missed.

Johnson family I am sending this letter which I wrote to your mother on the occasion of her 90th birthday. She was and is an inspiration in my life. She was plucky and feisty and passionate about causes. My memory is not clear on this, but I believe she represented the synod at a national Presbyterian gathering. I will miss her. I send you all my sympathy. Gladys Olsen

To Betty Johnson on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

My mother always said, “Betty Johnson has had a hard life.” Because my mother had also had a “hard life”, I figured she knew what she was talking about. My mother knew you as Betty Kleinick from Springville, who lost her father at a young age. You and your mother and brother managed to survive. I remember Ola, your mother, Betty. Always beautifully decked out and Marvin always so proud to escort her into church. Underneath that beautiful, dignified façade was the tough metal she passed on to you in her DNA.

Because I grew up down the road from where you lived, I have lots of memories of you. I first remember you when you and Russell moved over onto the Beltz farm on Highway 1 in the early 50’s. I remember you coming to church, often pregnant, in those big floppy maternity tops we used to wear in those days, with two or three little–and not so little–boys tugging at your skirts. I remember all the rides you used to give my mother to Ladies’ Aid and all the work all of you did to pull off those ice cream socials and fried chicken dinners. I remember you in your soft yellow dress at Russell’s visitation, seeking to console others at the shock of his death.

Betty, you had every reason to just focus on all the heavy work of raising a big family and being a farm wife, but you were a woman with dreams. You cared for old people as an avocation. I remember Clara Stewart, for example. And you did a lot — whether intentional or unintentional–for young women in this community, because you dreamed large. You stepped into leadership at Linn Grove Church and beyond. You found the funds to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Texas. You traveled to Petra (twice) and lots of other places.

And of course, you sold Mary Kay. Who can forget your phone message of “On the road again…”? The seminal work you did for the Senior Center in Martelle and getting the “Prairie Schooner” sailing wouldn’t have happened without your tireless efforts and leadership.

So thank you, Betty, for living such a wonderful life, in spite of all the challenges along the way. You were never ashamed of who you were and where you came from. I think we call that “honesty”. And you had the courage to do things in life you dreamed of doing. I think they call that “leading by example”. Today I do business with your son, Barry, and you have taught him well.

So to you, Betty Kleinick Johnson, thank you. I hope the joy of your birthday is found, not only in the friends and relatives who gather to honor you; but in the memories of a life well-lived–and not finished yet! It has been an honor to watch you and learn from you. I can’t wait to see what you do next.

Many happy returns.