Myrna Mae Johnson, 78
Myrna Mae Johnson, 78, of Kalispell, passed “into the light” on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017.
Born on May 20, 1939, to Bill and Mable Kemp, Myrna quickly developed chubby cheeks, thick braids and a precocious nature. Growing up in Jamestown, North Dakota, Myrna was charming and funny — qualities which naturally drew many friends to her. She was reportedly a daredevil, willing to do anything for attention or a laugh. She loved to help her mother cook, visit her dad at his job as a custodian, and relentlessly chase her older brother Ray around town. Myrna developed a love for music early on. She played a mean clarinet in the high school marching band and later in the Flathead Community Band. She enjoyed singing in the church choir.
Myrna was born to be a caregiver. Throughout her life, she was willing to lend an ear, hand, or heart whenever it was needed. Following high school, (Jamestown Class of ’57), Myrna decided to turn her gift into a profession by becoming a nurse. Following nursing school (Grand Forks, North Dakota, Class of ’61), she was off to the big city of Great Falls with her best friends to begin their careers.
Myrna was a storyteller and the stories about this time in her life are some of our family’s favorite. The stories typically start with her and her friends hitting the town, ending with a classic punch line and her thunderous, infectious laughter. Somewhere between work at the hospital and Singapore Slings at the J Bar T, Myrna caught the eye of a handsome young Stanford student named Jim Johnson. They quickly fell in love and were married on Dec. 28, 1963.
Children soon followed with Michael arriving in 1967 and Erika in 1970. While expertly raising her children, Myrna stayed busy with her nursing career, playing her clarinet, and involvement with church and several community organizations including Junior League, PEO and Soroptimists. Myrna embraced change with grace in 1979 with the arrival of her third child Tyler “TJ,” and the family’s move to Kalispell, which she called home for the remainder of her life.
In her later years, her greatest joy was spending time with her seven grandchildren. She loved to read, garden, hike in Glacier Park, play cards, do crossword puzzles, go antiquing with her friends and watch the hummingbirds at the family cabin on Lake Five. Adventurous to the end, she did not hesitate to dive off the dock or shoot down the sledding hill if goaded by one of her grandkids.
Of all her gifts, Myrna’s greatest was her ability to listen. If you came to her with a story of joy, she’d reflect it back to you tenfold. If you gave her a story of sadness, she’d soak it all up and provide just the right medicine to help you approach the next day. We will miss her huge smile, loving heart, and accepting nature. We are happy she is now at peace and look forward to her dropping in on us from time to time.
Myrna was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Mable, brother Raymond, and infant sister Shirley.
She is survived by her loving husband, Jim Johnson; children, Mike and Tami Johnson, Erika and David Sandler, and Tyler and Emily Johnson; and grandchildren, Connor, Kaelen, Cameron, Kjell, Kenna, Paisley and Keller. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Arlene Kemp, nieces Loni Nethercutt, Michelle Helbacka, Liz Johnson, and their families, all of Minnesota. Other close family members include Robert Johnson of Maryland, Dennis Johnson of Oregon, and Signe Johnson of Oregon and their families.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, at First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the following Kalispell organizations in her honor: Hospice, Immanuel Lutheran Foundation, Loyal Care, First Presbyterian Church or to Alzheimer’s research. The family wishes to thank the people serving these organizations for their dedication to Myrna’s and our family’s care and comfort.