Submitted by: John C. Monk

 

Ruth A. Johnson

 Feb. 5, 1920 - Feb. 10, 2010
GRANGER - Mrs. Ruth Alice (Walker) Johnson, 90, passed away peacefully in her home early Wednesday morning. She was born in Kansas City, KS, to Don & Alice (Tollen) Bangs. Ruth graduated from Silver Creek High School, Silver Creek, IN. She earned a BS in Early Education from Bethel College and her Master's in Elementary Education from Indiana University Bloomington, and taught Remedial Reading in the elementary grades for Mishawaka and PHM School Systems, retiring in 1972 after 15 years. She is survived by two daughters, Cheryl Morlan-Hersom (John) of Granger and Jerilyn Carter-Klein (Michael) of Anchorage, Alaska; three grandsons and eight great-grandchildren, Dr. Robert Morlan, DMD (Adrienne) of Plymouth, MA, and their children, Nicole & Paige, both age 5, Dr. Thomas Morlan, OD (Lori) of Granger, and their children, Nicholas, age 10, Alex, age 7, and Nathan, age 5, and Travis Carter (Lisa) of Dallas, TX, and their children, Braeden, age 15, Cole, age 13, and Lilly, age 8; and an ex-son-in-law, Don Morlan (Barb) of South Bend. She was predeceased by her son, Robb Baker; four husbands, Paul Baker, Harold Walker, Robert Slaughter and Gordon Johnson; and siblings, Don Bangs, Jon Bangs and Betty Smith. Mrs. Johnson spent all of her retirement in Ocala, FL, until 2000; since her husband had passed away she came to live with her daughter Cheryl and her family here in Granger and stayed with her until she passed away. A special thanks to Memorial Home Healthcare and especially to Brenda H. and Susan M., without whose help Cheryl never could have kept her mom at home. They were as loving and caring as if she were their own mother and was such a big help to Cheryl personally. A memorial service will be held on Friday, Feb. 19th, at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at First United Methodist Church, Mishawaka, Rev. Joyce Kuhn officiating. Her ashes will be entombed that same day at 2 p.m. in Tippecanoe Memory Gardens, West Lafayette, IN. In lieu of flowers Ruth's family requests memorial contributions in Ruth's memory may be made to the PHM Educational Foundation, 55900 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545, for use in Remedial Reading. To send condolences to the family log on to www.McGannHay.com.

Published in South Bend Tribune on February 14, 2010