Goldie Pearl Johnson

Goldie was born on February 2, 1935, in Warsaw, MO to Glenn and Vera (Midyett) Beyer. She was the youngest of three daughters who all grew up on the family farm. Her job was to work with her mother to do all the family baking. She fell in love with it and continued it most of her life - she was exceptional at it. After college, she moved to Kansas City to start her career. That is where she met the love of her life, Sam Johnson. Sam and Goldie were married in 1962 and welcomed their only son Gregory in 1967. Sam and Goldie’s love story continued until his death in 2015.

Goldie worked for TWA for over 50 years. She did collections for air freight worldwide. This was not a role that a woman would normally have in the 1960’s. She would sign her name with her initials so people wouldn’t know she was female. Even though she was 5’2 and 100 pounds, she earned the name “bitch witch” for the tough demeanor she had dealing with CEO’s of major companies and co-workers. She wrote the manual used for the whole company on how to calculate costs and collect on them. Her role in the company took her all over the world-she climbed the pyramids in Egypt, traveled on a camel through Jordan, safaris in Australia, and soaking up the sun in Fiji. Her stories were legendary. But her favorite place to visit was Hawaii. She and Sam traveled there multiple times a year for many years. She also loved to play cards - she and Sam played almost every weekend for most of their lives. She had regular games with the Corbin’s (Carla, Ed, Kevin, and Amanda) and the Knickerbocker’s along with several other family and friends. Goldie was known to take all the money from the friends of her grandkids playing poker after being challenged.

After retirement, she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. She would have activities planned every visit there. They would bake, color, play games, have tea parties, and eat all the junk they wanted. She moved in with her son’s family after Sam’s death and was able to spend her last years surrounded by her family and grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

She is survived by her son Greg (Casey) Johnson; her grandchildren Brooklyn (Isaiah) Mendell, Danny (Silda) Knickerbocker and Felix (Jordan) Johnson. She is also survived by her four great grandchildren- Noah, Oliver, Isabel, and Andrea. She also leaves behind longtime friend Carla Corbin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Vera Beyer; her sisters, Beth Hudgens and Helen Jones; and the love of her life, Samuel Johnson.

A celebration of Goldie’s life will be held Wednesday, April 2, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131.