Jean Ruth (Adamson) Johnson

Jean Ruth Johnson, 95, of Marion, Indiana passed away on Monday, August 24, 2020.  She was born on December 11, 1924 in Monaca, Pennsylvania, the daughter of the late George Henry Adamson and Mary Flora (Smith) Adamson.  Jean was the youngest of six children whose mother died when she was just seven years old.  Raised by two older sisters and her father, Jean was active in swimming and walking four miles to the library where she developed a love of reading.  She graduated from Monaca High School in 1942 where she was a majorette in the band and won a reading award.  Jean attended Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio where she was a band majorette and met and married her future husband, the late John Barclay “Barc” Johnson, in 1943.  During World War II she lived in Indianapolis while her husband served 30 months in the Navy.  They continued to live in Indianapolis after the war while Barc Finished college at Butler University.  Her husband passed away in 1998.  Jean was a cook at Riverview Elementary School in Marion for 26 years and Farm Manager of the William Johnson Family Farms until 2013.  After their retirement, Jean and Barc enjoyed traveling around the county in their RV from 1981-1998 touring all 50 state capitol buildings.  The last states they visited were Alaska and Hawaii, which they visited with their daughter Bev and her husband Lin Young.

At age 14 Jean joined the American Baptist Church in Rochester, PA where she assisted with the church’s kindergarten program along with her sister Helen.  After she was married she joined Prentice Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis where she established a kindergarten day care which later became part of the public school system.  She served two years as both a Boy Scout and Girls Scout leader.  After a brief time living in Detroit, Michigan she and her husband moved to Marion in 1959.  Jean was a member of PEO for 67 years and received the Golden Girl Award after 50 years’ of service.  She was in Women’s Department Club for 40 years, Conversation Club since 1994, and in 1962 was awarded the Exchange Club Award for “Bookstop”, a volunteer service for delivering library books to elderly shut-ins.  Jean was an active member of the Temple Congregational United Church of Christ as a deaconess, moderator and Women’s Fellowship Member.  She was Treasurer for four years of Church Women United of Grant County and received the Valiant Woman award in 2013.  She was an avid Bridge player and her hobbies included reading, working the daily crossword puzzles, making jigsaw puzzles and walking in Matter Park.  She loved dog sitting for her granddog Bailey.  Jean attended 22 annual reunions with her siblings and enjoyed taking extended trips with her children after her husband passed away.

In addition to her husband and parents, Jean was preceded in death by her brothers George Adamson and James Adamson, and her sisters, Genevieve MacFarlane, Helen Street and Rosemary Morse.  Survivors include four children, Beverly Young of Gallipolis, Ohio, David Johnson (Mary) of Cincinnati, Ohio, Sue Williamson (Bill) of Blue Rock, Ohio and Nancy Brodt (Eric) of Carmel, Indiana; along with nine grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren who she enjoyed.

Funeral services are pending due to the constraints of the Corona virus pandemic.  Memorial Contributions can be made to the Temple Congregational United Church of Christ Women’s Fellowship and the Grant County Humane Society.

Online condolences can be made at www.ravenchoate.com