Beverly Ann Johnson, 84

Beverly Ann Johnson, 84, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, in Sandpoint, Idaho. She will be remembered by those who loved her as a woman of faith, kindness and strength.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m. at the Sandpoint Christian Center, with Pastor Wesley Ribeiro officiating. She will be laid to rest next to her husband Robert at Pinecrest Cemetery. Viewing will be held at the Lakeview Funeral Home prior to services on Friday, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

Bev was born in St. Paul, Minn., on March 29, 1932. As an infant she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. While that was often a death sentence in 1932, her mother (also a woman of faith) would not accept that diagnosis, so she searched for a doctor who would offer her help and hope. Finally a physician was found who prescribed a combination of fresh air, fruits and vegetables—these along with lots of love and hard work on her mother’s part, turned the death sentence around and Bev became well and thrived.

When Bev was 5 years old, her family moved to a large farmhouse in what was at that time a rural area of Minneapolis. They lived there all of her growing up years. As a young child, Bev’s best friend was her older brother, Robert. She was his companion in everything from raising rabbits, to gardening and exploring. When Bev was 12 years old, the family packed up their Ford and set off for a vacation out West — first to Yellowstone National Park, then to Glacier National Park and finally on to Banff, Canada. In her stories of those days, she said they probably traveled about 35 miles per hour so she remembered being able to see the Rocky Mountains a long time before they actually arrived. When they were in Glacier Park, she and Robert decided to head for the top of one of the hills at the edge of the campground. Not realizing that they had been gone for a very long time, they returned to discover that her family had (much to their surprise) notified the park authorities and a search party had been sent out to find them.

High school was filled with friends and time spent on the many lakes in Minneapolis. During those years Bev worked in a theater as an usherette. Clothed in a formal gown and long gloves, it was a classy job for a teen in the late 1940s. After her graduation from Washburn High School in 1950, Bev went on to the University of Minnesota. It was there on a blind date, that she met a young man who was also attending the university. His name was Robert “Bob” Johnson. On Sept. 19, 1953, they married.

In 1954, Bob was drafted into the Army and sent to Fairbanks, Alaska. Bev remained in Minneapolis until their first child (daughter, Terry) was born. Moving to Alaska in December 1954 was both a cultural and climate shock for Bev, especially since off-base housing was somewhat primitive. She often told her family that she used the area by the front door for a refrigerator — put the milk too close and it was frozen solid by morning. In 1955, their second child, Mark, was born in Fairbanks.

When Bob’s service in the military was completed, they moved back to Minneapolis until Bob graduated from college. When he was hired by the state of Idaho Forestry Department, Bev and family moved to Orofino, Idaho. Then in 1958, they moved to Sandpoint where Bob went to work as the resource manager for Hedlund Lumber Co. The family settled in at Sandpoint to stay. In 1960, their third child, Ann, was born.

Over the years, Bev enjoyed being a stay-at-home mother, but she had the heart of an entrepreneur, owning and operating two businesses of her own through the 1960s and ’70s, including The Green Pebble Fabric Store on First Avenue in Sandpoint. She and Bob also loved travel and the family traveled extensively in the U.S. and Canada.

In the late 1970s, Bev and Bob came to a place of profound commitment to Christ. One year later when Ann was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, it was faith that saw Bev through Ann’s battle with cancer and her untimely death in 1980.

When Bob retired in the ’80s, he and Bev purchased land in Ponderay, Idaho, and opened an antique/furniture store called The Old Home Place. When they weren’t working, they continued to travel.

In January 1999, life once again took an unexpected turn when Bob preceded Bev in death. In the following years, it was Bev’s family and her long-term relationships with friends in Sandpoint that helped her carve out a life on her own. Then, in 2008, Bev was one of the first residents of Luther Park at Sandpoint Assisted Living.

Bev was preceded in death by her husband, Bob; a daughter, Ann; her parents, Gregory and Loretta Geisenhoff; and her brother, Robert. She is survived by her children, Terry (Dan) Wood, and Mark (Janice) Johnson; five granddaughters and six great-grandchildren; a sister, Virginia (John) Coverdale; a brother, Dick (Mary) Geisenhoff; and her nieces and a nephew.

The family would like to thank Bev’s many faithful and dear friends at the Sandpoint Christian Center, who went to great lengths to include her in their lives in her later years. And, to the wonderful staff at Luther Park at Sandpoint who treated her with exceptional tenderness and professionalism — thank you.

Memorial donations may be made to the Sandpoint Christian Center, 1925 N. Boyer Ave., Sandpoint, ID 83864

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Bev’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign her guest book.