Barbara Gene Johnson

Barbara Gene Johnson was born February 26, 1938, in Indianapolis, IN to Mattie Lou Armstrong-Hopp and Blaine Roland Hopp. She died on Monday March 6, 2023, at the age of 85, in Tulsa, OK.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband Harry Gene Johnson, both of her parents, and her sister RuthAnn Stalling.

She is survived by four sisters: Linda Hoe, Jeannette Terrell, Jackie Terrell, and Gloria Terrell; her five children: Robert T Johnson and his wife Esther, Merrie Lynne Knox and her husband Timothy, Steven Blaine Johnson and his wife Kim, Michael Scott Johnson, Jennifer Lea Short and her husband Chris; 12 grandchildren: Jeremiah Johnson, Samantha Walden, Dana McIntosh, Mindy King, Bradly McPherson, Devin McPherson, Amanda Harris, Joshua Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Hayden Johnson, Harrison Johnson, and Kaden Short; and 11 great grandchildren.

Barbara was a resident of Lucille Page Manor in Sand Springs, OK for the past 22 years. Throughout her working years she held various administrative roles in avionics, the oil industry, and the medical field. Notably, after the death of her husband Gene in 1993, at the age of 55 Barbara went back to school and became a medical transcriptionist. She worked until she was 75 years old; her last job was at a local carpet store which she enjoyed tremendously. She delighted to help people choose the perfect carpet colors to go with their home furnishings.

Barbara became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1966, and her greatest joy was in studying and sharing her love of the Bible with others. She was always happiest spending time with friends and family, studying the Bible, going to the Kingdom Hall, participating in the ministry, and going to assemblies and conventions. One memorable convention she attended was at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA in the early 1970's with over 50,000 fellow believers in attendance; then in 2003 she was invited to attend an International Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Honolulu, HI with her granddaughter, where she was thrilled to meet foreign delegates from Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. You could find her at meetings and conventions, listening intently, and taking notes on her steno pad in "shorthand", which she learned as a young woman and continued to utilize up until a few weeks prior to her death. During the COVID-19 pandemic she wrote and mailed hundreds of encouraging letters to families in the community. She spent her entire adult life doing community service as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

In most recent years and months, even as her health started to fail, she continued to work hard with her doctors to improve her wellbeing and was planning for a cochlear implant not long before her death. She had to deal with a mind that would not let her rest, a balance disorder called Meniere's Disease, and profound hearing loss, yet she would earnestly say, "Today I'm working on patience." Barbara was adored by the many caregivers she met on her journey, from Advantage program workers to home health, hospital, skilled nursing, and long-term care staff. They made comments to her family, "She is so funny...your mom is adorable...tell her we loved having her here with us and we miss her."

In the past few months, Barbara had very dear friends who came to sit with her, popped in for a visit, and sent her cards. Barbara's family would like to express their love and appreciation for her friends and their steady display of kindness, love, and support. She will be greatly missed by so many.

Services for Barbara will be held April 1st at 5pm at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 701 West 51st Street, Sand Springs, OK. A Zoom link will be available for anyone unable to attend in person. Please message a family member for Zoom details.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to www.jw.org or Porta Caeli Hospice House in Tulsa, OK.