Cora Johnson, 88, peacefiilly went home with
the Lord on April 10, 2004. Cora was a longtime Hanford
resident. She was bom February 3, 1916 in Bismark, North
Dakota, the middle child of Michael and Carolina Schmierers
seven children. Cora left the family farm and as a young
woman worked in Yellowstone Johnson National Park and as a
governess in Burlingame, Calif. She attended North Dakota
State College where she met her husband, Earl F. Johnson,
former Hanford High School principal. It was love at first
sight and forever more. Her beloved husband died in 1967,
and she was always proud of his many contributions to
education and the community, including the Earl F. Johnson
Continuation High School and Earl. F. Johnson Park
established in his honor. She was a loving mom to Daryl of
Hanford, Sharon of Portland, Ore., Ron of Hanford and Janice
of Berkeley, Calif, and enjoyed nothing more than gathering
her family around her at the holidays and engaging them in
hour-long discussions about the world. Cora shared her
familys enthusiasm for adventure and nature, and after her
husbands death, worked in Glacier, Grand Canyon, Glacier Bay
and Denali National Parks. Still active in her seventies,
she took a whitewater raft trip and a dog sled ride in
Alaska, plus several plane rides over the rugged Alaskan
glacial landscape.
Cora was a long term employee with the food services
division of the Hanford Elementary School District, active
member of the First United Methodist Church and an avid
walker (Presidential Sports Award recipient for 1988). She
had a great curiosity about history and the natural world,
and enjoyed world travel, reading, gardening, cooking and
sewing. Her family will always treasure her zest for life,
fun-loving attitude, independent spirit and tireless energy.
In addition to her children, she is survived by her sister;
Clara Krook of Fargo, N.D.; brother, Cliff Schmierer of
Everett, Wash; Rons spouse, Tora Bourgeois, and Sharons
spouse William Patten, and a number of nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation from 58 p.m.
Wednesday, April 14th at Whitehurst-McNamara Funeral
Services Chapel, 100 Bush Street in Hanford. Funeral
services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 15th at
First United Methodist Church, 505 N. Redington in Hanford.
Interment will follow at Grangeville Cemetery, 10428 14th
Avenue in Armona. In lieu of flowers, the family requests
remembrances be made to the First United Methodist Church,
505 N. Redington Street, Hanford, CA 93230 and or the Earl
F. Johnson Scholarship Fund, Earl F. Johnson Continuation
High School, 120 E. Grangeville Blvd., Hanford, CA 93230.
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