Mary Lou (Walter) Johnson

Mary Lou Johnson peacefully fell asleep and awoke in heaven on the evening of July 6, 2023, after experiencing a major stroke nine days earlier. Born July 30, 1931, at Conde, SD to Verne and Florence Gula Walter, she was the sixth of seven children.

At age three, her family moved to Baker City, Oregon. After graduating from Baker High School, she worked as a telephone operator and nurses assistant at the nursing home and hospital. She was encouraged to attend Western Seminary in Portland, OR. It was there she would meet and later marry John Johnson on August 7, 1953, at Calvary Baptist Church in Baker.

Together they shared in the tasks of planting churches in western Oregon and raising a family of five children. In 1972 the family moved back to Baker to help with her father’s farm. While John farmed and worked at the mill, Mary helped support the family by working as a cook at the Blue & White Café, a part-time secretary for two different churches, drove school bus, provided caregiving, sold milk and eggs from the farm, and was involved in prison ministry. She and John served in leadership roles at the Salvation Army church and later got established at the newly founded Elkhorn Baptist Church, where she has been faithfully involved for the past twenty-five years, often playing the piano and violin.

Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us…that we may do” (Deut. 29:29). Therefore, understanding why and how God works will often remain hidden from us. But no matter how perplexing they are, he never fails to fulfill his plans for each life he creates. Though many aspects of Mary’s life remain hidden to those who knew her, what was plainly known was her love for Jesus, her family, her church, and for music.

Mary leaves behind her daughter-in-law Diana Johnson of Dayton, Oregon, her daughter Sally Michel and husband Bob of Rowlett, TX, her sons Daniel of Albany, OR, Johnny and wife Julie of West Point, UT, and Samuel and wife Heidi of Baker City, OR, her sister Ruby Carroll and husband Mike of Columbia City, OR, along with 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Preceded in death are her husband John Johnson Sr. of Baker City, son Paul Johnson of Dayton, OR, grandson Joshua Johnson of West Point, UT, and granddaughter Elissa Michel of Rowlett, TX, as well as her parents, her brothers John and Bill, and her sisters Helen Holecek, Marjory Hendrickson, and Pearl McMullin.

 A visitation will be held on July 17, 2023, at Coles Tribute Center from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM. A funeral service will be held on Monday, July 17, 2023, beginning at 11:00 AM at Coles Tribute Center, Pastor Tim Fisher from the Elkhorn Baptist Church will be officiating the service.  A funeral procession will take Mary Lou to Mt. Hope Cemetery for the vault interment immediately following the funeral service.

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