Obituary: Johnson, Dorothy Slater
year battle with cancer.
She died surrounded by her loving family, and was prayed into heaven by her husband.
Dorothy was born in Du Quoin, Illinois to Eva and John Ing.
She was the youngest of four sisters- Rebecca and the twins, Barbara and Virginia.
She had an idyllic childhood, graduating in 1944 at Du Quoin High School, home of the Indians.
She attended nurses training at New Orleans Charity Hospital, where she received her RN license.
After graduating, she moved cross country to Van Nuys, CA, where her Mom had helped get her a job at the Birmingham VA Hospital.
This was her favorite job, and also where she met her future husband, Eugene Slater.
In 1949, they ran away and got married at a Justice of the Peace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
They were married for 54 years.
The couple moved to Spokane in 1960.
They found paradise and raised their five children on five acres, living in the same family home for over 40 years.
They loved taking family road trips, making many cross country adventures through the years.
They held yearly family reunions at Loon Lake, with nights spent playing wiffle ball, Skipbo and rousing games of Pictionary.
Dorothy called this her “on Golden Pond.”
Gene preceded her in death in 2004.
Dorothy was blessed with a second chance at love at age 79, when she reunited with Glenn Johnson, her family pastor from Northview Bible Church.
They married in 2006.
They loved to travel— visiting the Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam, Mexico and Hawaii.
Most of these trips were to speak and facilitate pastor’s conferences.
Some of her local travel favorites included fishing at Kootenai and visiting Coeur d’Alene.
She enjoyed volunteering with Glenn at several jail ministries including Geiger Correctional Center and Spokane County Jail.
They held small group bible studies and assisted with chapel services for the inmates.
Professionally, Dorothy was an RN in the operating room at Holy Family Hospital, where she worked for 15 years.
She retired in 1990.
Dorothy loved life and enjoyed her family and girlfriends.
She savored meeting her friends for coffee dates, prayers, lunches, Tuesday Didier night and Friday morning McDonalds.
She loved laughing, talking (as noted as her #1 activity in high school), tap dancing, holding big family dinners, making her famous Christmas fruitcakes and celebrating with surprise parties.
She will be missed for her kind and loving spirit, listening ear and being a prayer warrior.
She is survived by her husband, Glenn; Robert (Faith) Slater of Port Townsend, WA; Bill (Selina) Slater of Spokane; Linda (Russ) Cramer of Airway Heights; Nancee (Paul) Kuykendall of Spokane; Judy (Greg) Oehling of Seattle; step-children Tom (Dee) Johnson; Glenda (Dave) Childers; Sue (Rich) Fink; Ruth Ann (Rocky) Moorehead; Tim (Holly) Johnson; grandchildren Jenny DeKlever; Anne McCarthy; Scott Slater; Matt Slater; Sabrina Slater; Slater Kuykendall; Shane Kuykendall; Sawyer Kuykendall; Seth Kuykendall; Jackson Oehling; Noah Oehling; Maka Johnson; Jessica Johnson; Malia Johnson; Christy Childers; Jennie Childers; Aaron Fin; Eric Fink; Grant Fink; Heather Moorehead; Holly Moorehead; George Johnson; Henry Johnson; Harvey Johnson; Violet Johnson; numerous great-grandchildren and Baby Boy DeKlever on the way.
She is also survived by her two sisters, Barbara Butler and Virginia Robinson of La Mirada, CA.
The family wishes to thank all who have prayed and sent flowers and cards.
A special thanks for Cancer Care NW for their compassionate and professional care which gave her nearly four more years of service to Christ.
They would also like to thank Hospice Spokane for their kind love and care.
A celebration of life will be held at Northview Bible Church at 13521 N. Mill Rd.
on Saturday, June 28 at 11am.
All friends and family are welcome to attend.