Obituary, Laura Nan Johnston, 82

Laura Nan Johnston, 82, died on January 19, 2015.

Born to Wendell and June Abell on February 26, 1932, in Chama, N.M., Laura's mother taught for The Bureau of Indian Affairs moving them to Sitka, Alaska, where she lived through high school. She attended Oregon State University (OSU) as a Delta Zeta and with a major in science she became a medical technician. There she met Norman Dale Johnston whose major was fisheries biology, and they both graduated in 1955. They were married in 1956, and by 1959 Norman had accepted a job with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game right at the time it became our 49th state. Her first son Dale was born in Wrangell, and her next two were born in Petersburg, where Laura worked at Petersburg General Hospital doing X-rays and lab tests up until 1973 when Norman was promoted and they moved to Juneau. In 1975 Norman died from an aneurism forcing Laura to leave Alaska.

Laura and her boys moved to Oregon where Norman's two brothers lived and began her medical career once again. Laura enjoyed square dancing where she met John Brewer who passed away in 2004. She took numerous trips with her church group and still had time for volunteer work for organizations such as Meals on Wheels, the Community Library and Senior Center, when she wasn't knitting something for her children. Laura spent her last years with retired school teacher, Paul Williamson, who she met through an internet dating service, and their Chesapeake Lab, Brownie.

Laura is survived by her two sons, Glen from Boise, Idaho, and Russ from Hillsboro, Ore., and her grandchildren.

No service was held but interment was at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Portland, Ore.