Betty Louise Johnson

On January 6th, our world became a little less still as Betty Johnson, our cherished "Nannie," entered into her eternal rest.

To describe Nannie is to speak of a peace that surpasses understanding; she was a woman who didn't just offer love, she offered a sanctuary.

Nannie lived a life defined by a quiet, constant spirit. As a grandmother, mother, sister, friend, and devout wife, she was the heartbeat of our family.

Her faith in Jesus was not a matter of ceremony, but a way of walking—a steady, daily devotion that grounded everything she did.

She was a peacemaker who used her words with intention, and prayer to keep her family tucked safely in her heart. To receive a call from Nannie saying she had been "just thinking of you" was to know you were being held in a conversation with Heaven.

For those of us lucky enough to belong to her, Nannie was where we went when the world felt like too much.

She was the first place we ran to… a place we could escape to as children, and later, in the quieter times as adults, when life was life-ing.

She never pressed for answers or pried into wounds; she simply made space. She had a rare way of trusting that if she provided the stillness, whatever needed to settle in our souls eventually would. There were no expectations. You could just be.

To enter her home was to know true rest. It was the kind of safety that allowed the body to let go, knowing nothing bad could happen there. In her presence, you could sleep deeply and wake up feeling held… There’s healing in those halls.

Nannie chose relationships over routines, and people over process. She treated everyone with a dignity that felt like a gift, trusting us long before we knew how to trust ourselves.

Her kindness was an active, humble force. Nannie never shied away from the shadows of another person’s life. Whether it was a neighbor, a friend across town, or a family member in pain, she walked toward suffering with open arms rather than away from it. She was willing to sit in the silence of someone else’s grief, offering a level of understanding and acceptance that was more than we knew what to do with.

While we mourn the reality of losing our safe place, our refuge, our Nannie—the place where our souls felt most secure—we see hope in her homecoming. We are grateful to know that when her eyes closed here on Earth, they opened to the face of her Savior. She is now having coffee on the front porch in the newness of the life she was promised, free and fully restored with Papa at her side and Mark holding her hand…

Rest now, Nannie.

Thank you for being our home. We will carry your calm within us until we see you again.

Betty Louise Johnson was born on March 30, 1934 to Herman & Hattie Hennig Nagel in Coryell City, TX. She was baptized in St. John Lutheran Church in Coryell City, Tx, was confirmed in St Paul Lutheran Church, Crawford, and married in Zion Lutheran Church McGregor, Tx.

She attended schools in Crawford & McGregor & graduated from McGregor HS in 1952. She married Charlie F Johnson Jr on Sept 19, 1952 & together they raised 4 children: Karen Johnson Rice, Denise Johnson Oliver (married to Larry Oliver), Randy Johnson (married to Catherine Johnson) & Gerald Johnson; grandchildren: Jonathan Oliver, Larry Oliver, Jr, Kristen Johnson Fondon, Ashley Johnson Barnett, Garron & Libbie Johnson; great grandchildren: Aurora & Emberly Rice, Ellie & Sam Fondon, Ashton, Julie & Raelyn Morrow, and many cherished nieces & nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman Nagel and Hattie Hennig Nagel; her husband, Charlie “Papa” Johnson; her brother, Herman “Sonny” Nagel Jr.; her sisters, Tillie Bohne and Nita Pomerenke; her grandson, Mark Rice; and many beloved extended family members that have gone before her.

Pallbearers: Kris Bohne, Marc Bohne, Kyle Althoff, Jr., Garron Johnson, and Collin Oliver.

Honorary Pallbearers: Don Bohne, Terry Nagel, Jason Nagel, Kevin Althoff, Sr., Ben Fondon, and Brant Barnett.