Lila Belle Johnston

Lila B. Johnston, 82, passed peacefully at her Indianapolis home on April 30, 2012. She was born on April 20, 1930 in Joyce City, AR to Sydney and Jewel Lout. Lila was valedictorian of Smackover High School in 1948 and continued her education at Warner Brown School of Nursing in El Dorado, AR. She was employed by various doctors, including the late Dr. Charles Kennedy in Smackover, AR, and continued college studies at South Arkansas University.

Lila was very active in the South Arkansas Arts Council as member of the Symphony Guild Board and director of two children’s concerts, president of the SAAC Auxiliary, actor in summer musicals, and was the first chairman and manager of the SAAC Lunch. She was a long time member of First Baptist Church in El Dorado where she served as Sunday School teacher, actor in theater productions, participant in Master Life, and many other volunteer positions.

Lila loved the Lord Jesus Christ and looked forward to eternity with Him. She was most recently a member of Bethesda Baptist Church in Brownsburg, Indiana.

She was preceded in death by her husband James E. Johnston and will be missed by those she left behind : daughter Donna Jones (Gulf Breeze, FL) and her daughter Amanda; son Ken Johnston (Indianapolis, IN), his wife Jenny and their children Karl, Lisa, Liz and Joy; stepson Jay Johnston (El Dorado) and his son Gaffney; stepdaughter Jan White (Camden) and her children Brandon and Catherine. She will also be missed by her living brothers and sisters, Lamar Lout (El Dorado), Mickey Boyd (Marietta, GA), Honey Patterson (El Dorado), Myrna Johnson (Fayetteville), LaRue Lewallen (Odessa, TX), Betty LeBrescu (Hot Springs), and Charles Lout (Hot Springs). She also had four step great grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will begin at 11:00am on Saturday, May 5, 2012 in the chapel of the First Baptist Church in El Dorado, Arkansas. Visitation will be from 9-11am. Dr. Lyndell P. Worthen will officiate. Services are under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.

Memorials may be made to Amedisys Hospice Services, 9101 Wesleyan Rd., Suite 305, Indianapolis, IN 46268 or to the First Baptist Church of El Dorado, 200 W. Main, El Dorado, AR 71730.