He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and four sisters. He is survived by his wife of 75 years, Velma (Taylor) Johnson of Moore, OK; three children and their spouses, Margaret and Rudy Araza of Tucson, AZ, Norman and Leslie Johnson of Greeley, CO and Barbara and Randy Livengood of Norman, OK; 8 grandchildren and spouses, Kari and Stan Abraham of Phoenix, AZ, Mischel Wirthman of Phoenix, AZ, Brandy and Tommy Wheatley of Yukon, OK, Jessica and Chris Dieken of Fort Collins, CO, Lindsay and Nick Cargal of Midwest City, OK, Aaron Araza of Tucson, AZ, Jason and Antoinette Johnson of Greeley, Co and Holly Livengood of Portland, OR; 6 great grandchildren, Stephanie Wirthman, Adam Wirthman, Wesley Abraham, and Rachel Abraham all of Phoenix, AZ, and Garin Wheatley and Gage Wheatley, both of Yukon, OK. He is also survived by Brother and Sister in Laws, Ernie and Bonnie Taylor of Kansas City, MO, Doris Taylor of Lathrop, MO and Quentin Clark of Raytown, MO, along with numerous nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
Vernal was a WWII Veteran who served in the US Army in the Philippine Islands. He farmed in northern Missouri after WWII and later worked for Manor Bread, Montgomery Ward, CoOp Chemical Co., and Goodyear Tire Co. He also attended Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, MO. He entered the ministry as a Christian Church Minister and served churches in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma for 41 years. He retired along with his wife Velma in 1999 and settled in Moore, OK. They loved to travel and visited 48 of the United States. Gardening was his hobby and he would plant vegetables and flowers anywhere there was dirt!
Visitation will be Sunday, August 26, 2018 from 2-4pm at Advantage Funeral and Cremation Service in OKC. A celebration of life service will be held Monday, August 27, 2018 at 10:00am at Community Christian Church in Moore, OK. Burial will be in the Lilly Cemetery in Ridgeway, MO on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 10:00am.
Donations may be made to Physician’s Choice Hospice in lieu of flowers.
Many thanks to the home health nurses and aides, the medical staff at the Veteran’s Center in Norman and the medical staff at Southridge Assisted Living Center and Physician’s Choice Hospice who gave him care. Your kindness will be forever remembered.
