A Memorial Service was held in Wesley United Methodist Church, 114 Main St. Worcester on Saturday, March 12, 2016, at 11:00 a.m.
Worcester, MA: Lois E. (Fuller) Johnson of Worcester, MA, died peacefully in her sleep, on December 16, 2015, at the age of 102, at the Knollwood Nursing Center.
Lois was born on March 3, 1913 in Hillsboro, North Dakota, daughter of Clarence and Ruth (Hood) Fuller. Lois’ husband, the Rev. Dr. Leslie Johnson, died in 1996. She is survived by her three children: Russell Johnson, Pueblo, CO, Robert Johnson, South Berwick, ME, and Ruth Ann White, Lunenburg, MA; four grandchildren: Melinda Aumann, Carrie Sholes, Ali Austin, and William White; and eight great grandchildren.
Lois received a Teacher’s Certficate from Mayville State Teacher’s College in 1932 and taught all eight grades in a one room rural school in Dent, MN, for two years and then two years in St. Thomas, ND, in a 1st & 2nd grade classroom.
In 1939, she graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, with a BA degree in both philosophy and sociology. She received a Master’s Degree in 1941 from the Boston University School of Social Work. She married Rev. Johnson in 1941 and served with him at churches in Massachusetts including Bradford, Newton, Springfield, and Worcester, using her musical and social work skills in whatever capacity she was needed. In the early 1950’s, her sons’ Cub Scout Pack was the first group in Massachusetts to initiate a collection for UNICEF, and so were invited to the United Nations to present their check to Danny Kaye.
Lois taught 3rd grade in Springfield for three years, then worked for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Worcester for two years. For the next 16 years, she was a School Social Worker in Shrewsbury, where she introduced techniques to remedy learning disabilities. She retired in 1980 after an illness. She and Leslie traveled all over the world except to the continent of South America. They returned after each trip and gave slide lectures about their travels. They retired from Shrewsbury to Lunenburg in 1989, where they attended the United Parish of Lunenburg. While in Lunenburg, she was responsible for the installation of a traffic signal in the center of town, uniting folks across the political spectrum.
In her retirement, Lois wrote her mother’s autobiography, painstakingly drawn from hand-written diaries. “Prairie Girl” documents the hardship of her ancestors’ settlement in the Dakota Territory in the late 1800’s. In her nineties, she wrote her own autobiography on her computer after she was legally blind, “The Angels in My Life” to highlight all the people who supported her throughout her life.
Lois was an active member of the United Methodist Women, the League of Women Voters, the Shrewsbury Teachers Association and P.E.O. She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church, Worcester, and sang in their choir for many years.
Lois was a warm and understanding friend, who cared deeply about children and their needs, whether in her care or around the world. Her commitment was total to the causes she believed in and she was tenacious in her efforts to create positive change. She was willing to give of herself, her time and her knowledge in whatever she was involved in, especially mentoring others. She was creative, imaginative and organized, and was always willing to try new experiences even into her 90’s. As her macular degeneration worsened and her hearing diminished, she simply “had to find new ways to cope and keep life interesting.” Instead of despairing, she asked, “I wonder what God has in store for me now?” Her strong faith gave her courage to face each new challenge in her life, and she aged with the same determination as she lived her life. All who knew her will attest to her indomitable spirit.
Lois will be greatly missed by her family who loved her so! We are grateful for all the warm and loving memories she helped create with us.
A memorial service will be on Saturday, March 12, 2016, at 11am, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 114 Main St., Worcester. Burial will be at the convenience of the family in Mountain View Cemetery, Shrewsbury. Memorial donations may be made, either to Wesley United Methodist Church, Memorial Fund, 114 Main St., Worcester MA 01608, or to the United Parish of Lunenburg, Memorial Fund, 39 Main St., Lunenburg, MA 01462.
Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln Street, Worcester is directing arrangements. To leave a message of condolence in the online guestbook, please click link below.