OBITUARIES Geneva Mabel Peterson Johnson
Geneva Mabel Peterson Johnson, 95, of Benton, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, June 11. She was born Thursday, Oct. 25, 1923, in Boulanger, Oklahoma, to Albert Jerome Peterson and Lilian Payne.
She was saved at her twin sister’s funeral when she was 12 years old in 1936. After that, she tried to get her parents and siblings to know the Lord. She read the Bible from front to back to know more about the Lord many times over. She was a woman of prayer and taught all her children to know the Lord.
She had five sisters and two brothers, Bertha, Bob,
Goldie, Irene, Wanda, Jeanette (twin) and Charlie, all whom left this world before her.
She had eight children, Vickie Kinman (Don), Teddi Roberts (Eddie), Pete Hull (Sherry), Sam Johnson (Donna), Marvin Johnson, Virginia Jones (Jerry), Mark Johnson (Debbie) and Marsena Bone (Johnny); 24 grandchildren; and a number great- and great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Wyatt Hull; her husband, Gerald E. Johnson, in 1983; a son, Marvin David Johnson, who died two days after birth in
1951; a daughter, Vicki Lynn Kinman, in 2011; a granddaughter, Mechelle Joy Roberts, in 1975; and a grandson, Shane Joseph Johnson, in 2015.
She was a cashier for Sears, Newberry’s and Safeway. She was a waitress for 30 years and made many friends in Sedan, Kansas, after moving there to care for her elderly parents. She traveled to nearly all the states and lived in many different places over the years.
Later in life, she moved to Arkansas and lived by her son and daughter-in-law, Pete and Sherry Hull. Then she was a caregiver for the elderly and was well-loved by all she sat with. She cared for many who she kindly watched over until the end, and kept in contact with them over the years. Martha and Luther Guinn remained her special friends and they visited her often. She later lived with her daughter, Marsena and Johnny, until her death.
She served the Lord with all her heart and wrote many letters of encouragement to all her family and friends. She gave willingly to anyone in need and donated regularly to many organizations, such as veterans, widows, children, cancer research and those who spread the gospel to many nations. She made sure all of her grandchildren had a full set of the presidential dollars, and systematically bought and mailed to each one of them.
Her favorite stories were about the ranch where she lived as a child in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and about her young life in Colorado. She made up many tales to recite to her children and grandchildren that were very entertaining. One especially was about the bug-a-boos. It was relating to the desire to return to Colorado after being bitten by the bug-aboos.
Her most important treasure was the Lord first, and then her family and friends. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Pallbearers are Lorne Johnson, Hunter Johnson, Chad Jones, Wade Jones, Jeff Bone, and Allen Robson. Honorary pallbearers are Kevin Johnson, Rodney Pierce, Jeremy
Jones, Brant Jones, Jeff Bowie, Dustin Davis and Gary Porterfield.
Service will be held at noon Saturday, June 15, with visitation taking place an hour prior at Dial and Dudley Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 17, at Pinecrest Memorial Park.
Online guest book: www.dialanddudleyfuneralhome.com.