Willard Miles Johnson

My husband, our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Willard Miles Johnson, was born to Elias A. and Josephine Holdeman Johnson on March 16, 1921 at Zimmerdale, Kansas, near Halstead. He peacefully fell asleep on June 11, 2012 at our apartment in the Oakwood Retirement Community, Brooksville, Mississippi, reaching the age of 91 years. His funeral service will be held 10:30 A.M. on Thursday 14, 2012 at Southaven Mennonite Church near Macon. Min. Leo Classen, Min. Larry Giesbrecht and Min. Ron Schmidt will officiate. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. A period of visitation for family and friends will be held Wednesday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 P.M. at the church. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon is in charge of services. You may sign the online register book at www.cockrellfuneralhome .com.

At three years of age he moved with his parents to Rich Hill, Missouri. There he received his formal education and grew to manhood. When he was fourteen he attended revival meetings in a country school where he heard the call of the Lord, repented, and received the peace of God in his heart. He was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite by Min. D.H. Dyck on March 8, 1936. This faith was precious to him and he embraced it to the end.
Dad was drafted during World War II. Because he was a conscientious objector and not willing to compromise his faith, he was given a farm deferment, and moved to Montezuma, Kansas. While there he found his life’s companion in me, Frances Koehn, and we were united in marriage in the old Montezuma church building on September 24, 1944. We shared nearly sixty-eight years together. To our union were born three sons and five daughters. Life held its mixture of joys and sorrows, and together we faced the challenges that came our way.
For twenty-four years we made our home in Western, Kansas, near the Montezuma congregation. He worked hard to provide for his family, and was involved in farming, dairying and custom haying. On Feb. 1, 1968 we moved to Rich Hill, Missouri. Dad loved living on the farm near the Marmaton River. He was a great observer of nature and always had a ready story to share about the many experiences of life. Then, in August, 1989 we moved to Macon, Mississippi to be near our family. His greatest joy was being near his children and grandchildren and his foremost concern was for their salvation. His plea until the very end was that not one would be missing in heaven. Dad was a lover of the Scriptures and in his later years he gave himself to memorizing many different passages. He was unashamed to talk to those that he met about the salvation of their souls.

We as a family lovingly cared for Dad, and as he neared his end we were often comforted and reassured by his patience and sweet spirit. Cancer caused him much suffering. His resignation in the face of affliction was an inspiration to us.

Those left to cherish many precious memories are his loving wife, Francis; and their eight children: Joyce Ashworth, Macon, Mississippi; Joe, and wife Janice, Macon, Mississippi; Carolyn, and husband Galen Nichols, Macon, Mississippi; Camilla, and husband Victor Lynn Smith, Mayfield, Kentucky; David, and wife Brenda, Macon, Mississippi; Susan, and husband Steve Kliewer, Isabella, Oklahoma; Richard, and wife Janette, Brooksville, Mississippi; and Lori, and husband Earl Koehn, Brooksville, Mississippi. He will be greatly missed by thirty grandchildren, forty-five great- grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren.

He is also survived by one brother: Charles Johnson, Rich Hill, Missouri; and two sisters: Lois Eastland, Phoenix, Arizona, and Jewel McGinnis, Yuma, Arizona.

His parents and two brothers preceded him in death.