Lavinia L. Johnson

Lavinia Johnson passed away in Denver, CO on February 6, 2016. She was born on November 13, 1918, in Brush, CO to John and Mollie Klippert. She, and her 4 sisters were raised on a farm North of Brush. She attended Fairview Elementary School which was a two-room country school and was one of three graduating from the eighth grade. She graduated from Brush High School in 1935 and then attended business school in Denver. She married Thorval Johnson in 1940 and they had a son in 1942. The family was split during the World War II years. In 1946, a representative of the Colorado Conference of the Congregational Church contacted residents in the Bonnie Brae area to start a church at the corner of So. Steele St. and Arizona Ave. She was one of the first to volunteer to contact neighbors and friends who might be interested in the new church. She held meetings in her home until a home was purchased to serve both as a parsonage and a place of worship. She continued to serve The Kirk of Bonnie Brae in various capacities until her health made it impossible to do so. She began work as an accountant and executive secretary. She earned her Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) and was a past President of the International Professional Secretaries (IPS) organization. In addition, she belonged to the Career Women's Symphony Guild, AARP and Retired Secretaries, serving each as president. She had season tickets to the Colorado Symphony and the Denver Broncos. She was preceded in death by her husband and her sister June Eakins of Grand Junction, Colorado. She is survived by her son Donald and wife Patricia, daughters Suzanne Amidon (Michele) and two great grandsons: Mason and Ryder in Denver, and daughter Carolyn Johnson in NYC and her sisters: Mildred Treber of Cheyenne, WY, Thelma Martin of Boca Raton, FL and Virginia Gibson of Grand Junction, CO. Burial will be at Ft. Logan National Cemetery, Pavilion A at 11 AM Friday February 12. A Reception will follow at 1 PM at The Kirk of Bonnie Brae Church of Christ, 1201 S. Steele St. Denver. Memorial contributions are suggested to The Kirk of Bonnie Brae Church of Christ. Please share memories of Lavinia by visiting the Guestbook link.