Obituary: Johnson, Esther Hensel
She was 96 years old.
She was the daughter of Arthur John and Ruby Webb Hensel of Waterville, Washington.
She graduated from Waterville High School.
She was a graduate of the University of Washington where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
After graduation, Esther taught high school music, history and social studies at Washtucna and Waterville, Washington until her marriage to Ensign John F. Mines, a design engineer for Boeing Aircraft Company and a decorated Navy flyer who was a member of one of the first bomber squadrons sent to the Pacific theater in World War II, based in Tarawa.
Upon his release from the Navy Air Corps and his return to Boeing, Jack and Esther, along with friends Robert B. Munro and Reginald Collins established Kenmore Air Harbor, a seaplane base still thriving on Lake Washington.
While Jack was on a search and rescue mission, flying as a passenger with a friend, their plane went down in the Cascades with no survivors.
Two years after working to establish the Air Harbor into a successful business, Esther accepted a position with her national sorority as Assistant Director of the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
While there, she worked with the home economics staff at the University of Tennessee in a joint effort to conduct summer workshops in crafts.
These efforts eventually led to the founding of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, now a nationally recognized art center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
While in Gatlinburg, Esther met and married Joe B. Johnson from Kodak, Tennessee.
Following the completion of his Masters Degree at the University of Tennessee, they moved west.
Her husband remained in school administration until his retirement as Superintendent of Schools at Reardan, Washington, where they resided for many years.
She and Joe were the parents of two sons, Bruce and Jay.
As a member of an active scouting family, she was proud to see her two sons become Eagle Scouts and her husband be awarded the Silver Beaver Award for outstanding service in the Inland Empire Council.
Esther was a past president of Chapter DZ, P.E.O., Wenatchee, Washington and Chapter N, Davenport, Washington.
She was a past officer of El Karnak Temple No.
6, Daughters of the Nile and a past president of Nile Club No.
11, Lincoln County.
She was also a lifelong member of the First Church of Christ Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts.
Esther was a member of the Reardan Booster Club and was an avid fan of the Reardan Indians.
She started the still in practice tradition of having the mothers feed the ball players before the games.
For five years prior to her sons graduating from high school, the Johnson home was the weekend dining place for the basketball and football teams.
Esther’s special interests included bridge clubs, working on the election board, oil and watercolor painting, and competitive ballroom dancing.
Joe and Esther maintained a summer residence at Loon Lake, Washington, and shared their lake home with many friends throughout the years.
Survivors include her son Bruce Johnson (Tammy), grandson Joe Johnson (Amy), her son Jay Johnson (Judy), grandchildren Stacy Zimmerman, Gavin Johnson and Shelby Johnson; a brother Bob Hensel (Jane), and numerous nephews and nieces.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, 2014, at the Reardan Presbyterian Church.
Pastor Bill Ward will officiate.
Memorials may be made to the Reardan Booster Club, Box 399, Reardan, Washington 99029, or to a charity of your choice.