Mary H Johnson

My sister, Mary, was born on April 2, 1943, and grew up in Orrville, Ohio. I was born 22 months later in February 1945. She was always my big sister and took great pleasure in caring for me from the moment I was born. She loved playing with me, even teaching me to ride a bicycle without training wheels when I was three. That might have been a mistake... because when I was eight, I had trouble telling right from left (and I still do). We were riding our bikes. She told me to turn right, but I turned left, and her bare toes got caught in the spokes of my bike.

We were great friends as children. One year, we made a New Year’s resolution to be honest with each other for a whole year. After that, we could go back to our dishonest ways!

We often dressed alike, wearing identical outfits in different shades of pink, blue, aqua, or green. I was made to choose green as my favorite color because she had already picked blue as hers, even though I was the only one in the family with blue eyes. As we grew older, we would share our clothes and ride our bikes with our shoes on!

When we were 16 and 18, our family moved from small town Orrville to huge city Houston. Mary and I commiserated in private times of our distress over the move. We both missed our Orrville friends, our school, and the lack of companionship in this enormous city of which we were so unfamiliar. It was a tough time for both of us.

By 1961, Mary had already been diagnosed with a debilitating disease, one that would dictate her care for the rest of her life: Crohn’s disease with complications. In the early 1960s, it wasn’t clear what treatments doctors could offer her. Several surgeries over the years left her with severe digestive problems. Throughout this time, our mother was her primary caregiver until she passed away in 1987.

In 1963, I left Houston for college in Arkansas. This ended Mary’s and my close relationship, physically, emotionally and intellectually. Upon my graduation from John Brown University, I never returned to Houston to live.

Our mother understandably sheltered Mary from the world, but she flourished among people who shared her beliefs. Sheltered yet active in organizations like Child Evangelism Fellowship, she enjoyed her daily routines. She was a devote Bible reader. She cared for others with kindness, including our father, until his passing in 2004. She loved Alief Community Church and enjoyed the friendships of the many who befriended her, as well as the connections she formed with other churches and their members during her 64 years in Houston.

She looked forward to being in the arms of Jesus all of her life. For her sake, I hope she is happy, pain-free, and that her wish has come true.

Father, Frederick Dean Johnson, mother, Haulwen Elizabeth (née Richey) Johnson, brother, Frederick Dean Johnson II predeceased her. She is survived by her sister Grace Elizabeth (aka Betz) Johnson Richards (Timothy), nephews, Frederick Dean Johnson III (Kelly) and Matthew Lee Johnson (Anna Bechtol), grand niece, Haulwen Langley Johnson, grand nephews, Matthew Langley Johnson and Jasper Skye Johnson.

Memorial service will be held at Alief Community Church, 4137 G Street, Alief, Texas on Saturday, September 20, at 11:00 am followed by a potluck lunch and Ice Cream Social.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Alief Community Church, PO Box 56, Alief, Texas 77411