Bonnie Johnson

Bonnie Johnson was a devoted wife, mother, grandma who always regarded her family as her greatest treasure. She thought of others before herself, and each day she tried to share her happiness with the many people she loved. In the company of her beloved family, a familiar smile always brimmed over her lips. With the end of the Great War, thousands of young soldiers returned to their civilian lives back home. The economy prospered amid the new demands of a peacetime nature, and jazz music set the tone for this good fortune. In Cadillac, Michigan, Archie Rose and his wife Iva Whereatt discovered an additional reason to celebrate. They were expecting a child, and on July 21, 1922 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their daughter Bonnie Joyce Rose. The baby of the family, Bonnie grew up in Cadillac with the company of her sister Winifred and her sister-in-law Lucretia. While her mother kept the house and raised the children, her father provided for the family through his job in the auto industry; he was also a part-time chiropractor. After the Depression hit, the Rose family moved a lot in search of work. They lived in Pontiac, Wisconsin, and Florida (where they rode out a hurricane in a railroad boxcar). They struggled financially, but Bonnies mother somehow made everything work out. In addition to the challenges of the Great Depression, Bonnie also struggled with her health. She suffered from tuberculosis and spent one year in a TB sanitarium. After making a full recovery, she returned to her family and 1938 graduated from Rochester High School one year early. At the age of sixteen she enrolled at Eastern Michigan University. College was a wonderful experience. After living in so many different cities, this was the first time that she felt truly rooted. She graduated in 1943 with a degree in Teaching Special Education. Following college, Bonnie applied for a job in Muskegon, Michigan where one of her classmates lived and worked. She was hired by Roosevelt School, located in Muskegon Heights, and she settled into a rented room in Esther Andereggs house. This turned out to be a fateful decision. She soon met Esthers brother, Raymond Johnson, while he was home on leave from the Navy. They enjoyed each others company and fell into an easy conversation. After the War ended, Ray returned home for good and the sparks flew. He and Bonnie were married a short time later, on April 13, 1946. The newlyweds built a house on Seminole Road, which they soon filled with the blessing of five wonderful children. David was born in 1948 (though he died five months later due to an unforeseeable accident), followed by Jane in 1952, Elaine in 1955, Carol in 1960, and Alan in 1965. In 1967 the family moved into the house on Roosevelt Park, which Bonnie would call home for the rest of her life. Bonnie devoted her life to her family, and her children were her greatest passion. She played an active role in their lives, serving as a Den Mother and Girl Scout Leader. She always supported her childrens interests: she never missed a hockey game and she loved to watch her daughters cheerlead and perform in their school band. Vacation was an important family tradition. Over the years the Johnsons visited many places, including Disneyworld, Gettysburg, the Mammoth Caves, and Arizona. Since Ray disliked flying, they always drove. On one particularly memorable trip, they traveled to California and back in a customized van. The trip took thirty-three days, and they spent most of their nights on KOA campgrounds. Bonnie and her family loved to boat, and they always had a blast waterskiing on Mona Lake. Teaching was a very important part of Bonnies life. Although she took time off for the births of each of her children, she always returned to teaching. After eleven years at Roosevelt School she began working for the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD). She would travel from school to school teaching students who required Special Education. She also worked with home- and hospital-bound students. The trunk of her Buick was always filled with school supplies. During this time Bonnie received her masters degree from Western Michigan University. At the time of her retirement she was just two classes shy of her doctorate. In 1983 Bonnie retired from MAISD after twenty-two years of commendable service. She was diagnosed with lung cancer, and she underwent radiation treatment and surgery to remove part of her lung. Her doctors predicted that she would live no longer than five yearsand this was twenty-four years ago! Meanwhile, Ray was struggling with his own health issues. In 1977 he was diagnosed with Leukemia. He spent five months in the hospital before this disease went into remission. With care from Bonnie his Leukemia remained in remission for nine years until his death in 1987. Bonnie continued to live in the same house. She was thrilled to see her family grow with the blessing of grandchildren. She was an active grandmother who truly cherished all the time that she spent with the youngest members of the family. Bonnie also discovered other ways to keep busy. She belonged to a pinochle club with couples from Samuel Lutheran Church where they were active members. She and Ray were some of the first members, and forty years later this group still meets regularly. Bonnie was also a member of many interest groups and organizations, including Widows Together, Book Clubs, and Bible Study Groups. She volunteered at Hackley Hospital and solved the Muskegon Chronicle crossword puzzle everyday. In her later years she traveled all over the world with friends and travel groups, visiting places like Mexico, Turkey, Greece, Europe, Alaska, and Hawaii. Bonnie was up for anything, and she loved learning the history of the places she visited. As the years went by, Bonnie suffered from more health issues. She always kept a positive attitude and never once complained. She was an optimistic woman who knew that her life was filled with blessings. She was a loving wife and devoted mother, grandma, friend, and teacher. Among the many people whose hearts she touched, she will be greatly missed and frequently remembered. Bonnie died on Thursday, November 22, 2007. SURVIVORS 1 son, Alan (Lorie) Johnson of Grand Haven; 3 daughters, Dr. Jane (Thomas) Kapral of IL, Elaine (Dr. Jeffrey) Byland of Fremont & Carol (Larry) Grevious of Muskegon; 8 grandchildren, Shawn Byland, Kristine Pafford, Andrew Kapral, David Grevious, Brett Grevious, Tyler Grevious, Hailey Sanford & Raymond Johnson; 1 great granddaughter, Rhiannon Pafford; 1 sister, Winifred Russell of Rochester Hills, MI. She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Johnson on August 21, 1987 & her son, David Raymond Johnson. SERVICE Monday, November 26, 2007, 11:00 AM at Samuel Lutheran Church with Pastor Phillip Nordstrand officiating. Interment at Mona View Cemetery. VISITATION Sunday, 2-4 & 6-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home. MEMORIAL: Samuel Lutheran Church or Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Please visit Bonnies personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.