Nina M. Johnson

Nina Carns Johnson, age 96, died Saturday, March 29, 2025, with her daughters and step-son at her side. She had resided at Colonial Courtyard of Clearfield for the past 14 months and previously lived in Frenchville for most of her life.

Nina was born in Clearfield on June 22, 1928, the youngest of 12 children of Grace Matilda (Young) and John Wesley Carns. She was preceded in death by her parents and 11 siblings, her first husband and father of her daughters Francis Rougeux, and her second husband George R. Johnson, as well as her beloved daughter, Shirley.

She is survived by daughters Marcia Rougeux Wilson of Hanover, PA, and Debra Rougeux Burk of

Brogue, PA, step-sons Ronald Johnson of State College, Gregg and Danny Johnson, and step-daughter Deborah Pulcinello, all of Tyrone. Nina also leaves grandchildren Cheri Velto, Bryan Wilson, Eric Wilson, Joshua Shadeck, Nathaniel Shadeck, Laura Preston and Mary Kate Diesinger, along with seven great-grandchildren and nine step-grandchildren.

Despite leaving high school to care for invalid parents, she completed her education through GED and received a teaching degree at age 42. She taught adult sewing classes and taught at Clearfield Vocational School for 20 years. She produced an Occupational Competency Test in Textiles that became the national exam for anyone applying for a textile teaching position.

A lifelong volunteer, after her retirement in 1992, she continued involvement with Frenchville VFW Post 8386 Auxiliary where she was a charter member, president and long-term secretary; Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Karthaus, serving on church council, Bible School, bloodmobile visits, baking communion bread, annual apple dumpling sale, and where she was named Woman of the Year in 2004; Quehanna Lions Club, overseeing the kitchen and funnel cake stand at the annual sample fair, chairing Give Back to the Community Senior Dinner, making homemade bread for 100 dinner attendees, the Lions Birthday Calendar fundraiser benefitting the Susquehanna Rural Free Clinic, and was named “Lion of the Year” in 2005 and in 2010; and served on boards of directors of both Susquehanna Rural Free Clinic and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Western Susquehanna Chapter.

Nina constructed altar linens and paraments for several Lutheran, Catholic and Methodist churches and was instrumental in forming the Shepherd Quilters at her church, who meet weekly, making quilts for the homeless and Salvation Army.

She started volunteering at Clearfield Hospital in 1993, chairing the Comfort Item Project; made hand-crocheted preemie burial dresses, bonnets, and burial pouches; emergency evacuation aprons for the hospital nursery to allow one nurse to transport 4 babies; and made seven color-coded emergency equipment organizers for hospital crash carts.

In 2013, she was named Woman of the Year by the Clearfield Business and Professional Women in recognition of her community service, and in 2017 she was honored to receive the prestigious Jefferson Award for her outstanding public service. The total numbers of comfort items delivered since 1994 exceed 33,000: toys, “hug” pillows for surgery patients, turbans for chemotherapy patients, gown protectors and more.

Services will be held at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 3637 Main Street, Karthaus, PA 16845, at 11 AM on Monday, April 7, 2025. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 PM on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at Bennett & Houser Funeral Home, 312 East Locust Street, Clearfield, PA 16830.

Interment will be at Grandview Cemetery, 723 South Lincoln Avenue, Tyrone, PA 16686, with graveside service at approximately 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to her church, as shown above, or to World Vision, P O Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063, as Nina always enjoyed hearing about her “adopted” children in various parts of the world.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bennettandhouser.com for Nina’s family.