JOHNSON, Hazel Orrel (Houghton) - b. November 3, 1915 - d. August 2012

[patyrn]

Hazel Orrel (Houghton) Johnson, the youngest child of John Louis and Lola Zieber Houghton, was born November 3, 1914 on a farm 2 1/2 miles east of Severy, Kansas. 

She received her education in the old country "Economy" one-room schoolhouse and the old stone schoolhouse in Severy.  She graduated from the Severy Rural High School in 1932.  At the age of 12, she accepted Jesus as her Savior and became a member of the Severy Methodist Church where she had attended from her birth. 

On July 1, 1932, she married Ralph Meryl Johnson of Piedmont, Kansas.  The marriage was officiated by the Rev. Harold E. Dickens, pastor of the Christian Church in Eureka, Kansas.  The first five years of their married life were spent in Fall River, Kansas where Ralph worked on the Frisco Railroad.  When he became foreman, they lived in Andover, Augusta, Valley Center, and Leon, all in Kansas, before settling in Beaumont, Kansas.  In January of 1956, the family moved to Eureka, Kansas where the rest of her life was spent.  Here she became a member of the First Baptist Church and was a member for over 45 years.

She leaves five sons and their wives, Elwin Olan and Leola of Benton, Kansas, Sharon Shadrach and Leota of Enid, Oklahoma, Meritt Keith and Minnie of rural Eureka, Kansas, Marion Sydney and Joyce of Neal, Kansas, and Douglas Michael of Andover, Kansas; two daughters and a son-in-law, Peggy Jane of Eureka, Kansas and Patty Jo and Ernest Chiles of Jackson, Missouri; 13 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Roy Alvin; a baby daughter, Nancy Jean; one granddaughter, Pamela Kay; two great-grandsons, Devon Richard Stants and Sidney Houghton Stants; four brothers, Lester Eleazer of El Dorado, Kansas, Laurence Shadrach of Eureka, Kansas, Lysle Thomas of Severy, Kansas, and Ralph Howard Houghton of Alta Vista, Kansas; and two sisters, Marie Houghton Harper and Gladys Houghton Magner of Eureka, Kansas.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, August 23, 2012 at Koup Family Funeral Home in Eureka, Kansas with Pastor Chance Gibbs of the First Baptist Church of Eureka officiating.  Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorials be made to the First Baptist Church of Eureka, Kansas.  Contributions may be sent in care of Koup Famioly Funeral Home, P.O. Box 595, Eureka, KS 67045, which was in charge of service arrangements.

(taken from the Koup Family Funeral Home website)