Mary Johnson

“All My Love, Always” was how Mary Johnson ended many of her letters to her husband, then Private Joel T. Johnson, who was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, as part of the 2nd Armored Division of the United States Army. He wrote about his bowling games with his buddies and having to do PT, while she wrote back about how his visit to see her on her birthday was very special, saying, “Sweetheart, I was so surprised you came home and that was the nicest present I could ever have.” Mary Ann Johnson died July 16, 2020, while under memory care at Living Springs Village in Waco. She is survived by her sons, Gary and Robert; her daughter-in-law, Michelle (whom she referred to as her actual daughter); her grandchildren, Madeline, Cooper and Katherine; and her sister, Yvonne; as well as her nephew, Jeff, and niece, Nancy. She is preceded in death by her husband, Joel; her son, Darrell; and her mother, Annie Maud. There will be a graveside service held at 10:00 a.m. at Palm Valley Lutheran Church in Round Rock, Texas, Thursday, July 23, for her immediate family. She’s going to occupy the eighth spot within our family plot (two more to go), which dates back to her husband Joel’s grandparents, who were founding members of the church. She would be proud that that was mentioned. Or not. We’ll find out one day. Borrowing a word from a dear friend, Mary was indeed a “pistol.” High school educated, Mary grew up poor and went to work for Southwestern Bell for 35 years, where she earned the respect from her bosses and peers alike. As a matter of fact (we have proof), she was “THE one to call.” Too many accolades to list here. She left for work most days at 6:00 a.m., came home about 6:00 p.m., made dinner each night (she had certain dinners planned for each day of the week, and our collective favorite was tostada night, with just refried beans and cheese) and, you know, did what mothers did back then: dominate the playing field. She was our disciplinarian, our seamstress, our gardener, our extraordinary cook, our dad’s cohort at Mary’s Hallmark Shop following her retirement from “Ma Bell,” (appropriate gesture on our dad’s part to give her that recognition); she journaled a bunch — a whole bunch — she enjoyed listening to “Hooked on Classics” albums, Helen Ready (“I am Woman,” “Delta Dawn”), Tom Jones (“It’s Not Unusual”) and Elvis Presley (“Suspicious Minds”). One of her absolute favorite songs was Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors.” She got choked up each time she heard it. “My coat of many colors That my momma made for me Made only from rags But I wore it so proudly Although we had no money I was rich as I could be In my coat of many colors My momma made for me” Mary enjoyed bowling with her husband, she conducted several sessions of “Camp Grandma” with her grandkids, she took piano lessons and she loved on the feral kitties that would spring up at their house unannounced. She was fearless, ruthless and in later years somewhat toothless. She was kind, caring — mean, if she needed to be — loving, loyal, thoughtful, productive, instructive — forceful on occasion — and the best mother, wife and grandmother that we could ever ask for. Mary sailed the ocean by herself early in her life to reunite with her husband, Joel, during the time he was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, and now she’s back with him once again. We love you, and we’ll hopefully see you before too long. All Our Love, Always. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society of Central Texas in Waco. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.