Claudine LaDonna Johnson, Salina, formerly of Minneapolis, passed away on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at her home after a long illness. She was born Claudine Simpson, May 6, 1935 to Claude and Leona (Cline) Simpson at Lamar, Kansas.
She attended Bennington Grade School Dist #16, and Dist-R 13 at Lamar before graduating from Delphos High School in 1954. She earned several college hours from Cloud County Community College and Barton County Community College.
Claudine worked at the Lamar General Store and Lamar Telephone Company and was also a switchboard operator/receptionist at Marymount College in Salina. She also worked for State Farm Insurance, Ottawa County ASCS office, and was a dispatcher at the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. She retired from 24 years of service at Ottawa County Hospital in 1990.
On June 4, 1959 in Salina, Kansas, Claudine was united in marriage to Robert Don Johnson of Rutledge, Tennessee. After their marriage, they lived in Salina and Bennington, Kansas, and Rome, New York before moving to Minneapolis in 1964.
A few months after moving to Minneapolis, she dedicated her life to Jesus Christ and became a member of the Minneapolis Community Bible Church. She taught Sunday School, was a director of the church's prayer chain, and folded the church bulletins for several years. As a child she attended Delphos and Bennington Methodist Churches and was a member of the Lamar Methodist Church until its disbandment.
Very early in life she learned to embroider and crochet and she continued to enjoy her needlework throughout her life, giving much of it to family and friends to enjoy. Her hobbies were her pets, doing puzzles, making quilts, and collecting dolls and Beanie Babies. Being with family and friends whom she loved dearly, was of utmost importance to her. Southern Gospel music was her passion and she spent many happy hours listening to it, attending concerts and becoming friends with many of the artists and their families.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Claude and Leona Simpson, grandparents David and Lizzie Simpson, and Burt and Bess Cline, brother, Leonard Simpson, son-in-law, Robert Lynn Crum, and nieces, Janelle Hoel and Patricia Mick.
Survivors include her husband Bob of the home; son Randy and his wife Barbara of Assaria; two daughters, Virginia Crum of Wichita and Vicki Farrington and her husband Terry of rural Minneapolis; five grandchildren, Kris Waltner of Hutchinson, Amy Felton of Tescott, Tiffany Lopez of Brooklyn, New York, John Johnson of Salina, and Bobby Felton of Chadron, Nebraska; a step-granddaughter, Alicia Schmidt of Minneapolis and step-grandson Jamie Farrington of Minneapolis; one great-granddaughter, Riley Mae Waltner, and three step-great-grandsons Kenton, Conner and Colton Schmidt. Sister-in-law Rowena Simpson lives in Minneapolis and sister-in-law Betty Dodson and husband Bill live in Kingsport, Tennessee. Two nieces, Toni Swagerty and husband Jim of Minneapolis, Kansas and Sandy Dodson of Kingsport Tennessee; nephew Burton Simpson and Kim of Salina; great-nephews Shawn Simpson of Missouri, Jim Swagerty of Allen, Texas and John Swagerty of Suffolk, Virginia; great-nieces Sharie Thille of Hays, Kansas, Kristina Schwartz of Hays, Kansas, and Julie Hoel of Halstead, Kansas.
Funeral services will be at 10 A.M., Wednesday at Wilson Shields Funeral Home, Minneapolis. Private family burial will follow the services at Pleasant Hill Cemetery near Lamar. Visitation will be from 2 P.M. to 8 P.M. Tuesday at the funeral home where the family will receive friends from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. The casket will remain closed. Memorials may be given to the Salina Animal Shelter, Kay Pogue Hospice, or the Southern Gospel Music Association in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and may be left in care of the funeral home.