Elbert Johnson

Elbert Johnson HASKELL-Elbert Johnson of Haskell, Texas, passed away Monday morning, April 15, 2013, at Stamford Memorial Hospital in Stamford, Texas. He was 85. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 18, 2013, at the First Baptist Church in Haskell with the Rev. Jim McCurley officiating. Visitation is planned for this evening, April 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment with military honors will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, April 19, 2013, in Hillcrest Cemetery in Temple, Texas, under the direction of Smith Family Funeral Homes. Elbert Johnson, son of William Quitney Johnson and Annie Elizabeth Crawford Johnson, was born Aug. 30, 1927, in Temple, Texas. He graduated from Temple High School in January of 1945. He enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he served until August 1946. He attended Texas Tech University from 1947 to 1952, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. While at Tech, he lettered in football for four years, playing in the Sun Bowl in El Paso in 1947 and in the Raisin Bowl in Fresno, Calif. in 1949. Elbert's senior year, he was honored by being unanimously elected captain of the team. Elbert married Franciene Baker on Nov. 24, 1954, in Temple, Texas. After completing his education, Elbert played professional football with the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian League. He began his career in coaching at Muleshoe High School, continuing in Belton and Bryan High School. Upon retiring from coaching, Elbert worked in Houston for the Underwood Corporation before entering pharmacy school at the University of Texas. Elbert graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy in February of 1966. Elbert began his pharmacy career as manager of the Bowen Drugstore in Sweetwater before purchasing the M&F Pharmacy (formerly Payne Drug Store) in Haskell in August, 1966. He completed work by correspondence and received a master's degree in health education and a Doctor's Degree in Pharmacy. He served the Big Country Pharmaceutical Association as president, vice-president, and on the board of directors. Elbert sold the store in 1994, but continued to work part-time until he retired from pharmacy in August of 2010. Mr. Johnson was active in places of leadership in his community. He served on the school board for nine years where he was elected secretary and vice president. He is past president of the Chamber of Commerce and also served as vice president, secretary and treasurer. He was a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Haskell and was elected Layman of the Year for the Texas-Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International in 1992-93. He also served as president, director and was secretary until the club disbanded in 2006. He served as a director of the Industrial Foundation and helped promote the passing of the Miller Creek project. Elbert was also a director of Troop 136 of the Boy Scouts of America and a lifetime member of the American Legion. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson went to Spain with the APhA and AMA exchange program in 1982 and to Russia the week after Chernobyl. The Johnsons, along with Dr. and Mrs. Frank Cadenhead, went on nine medical missions to Venezuela in the late 1980s and early 1990s with Southern Baptists. Mr. Johnson was preceded in death by his parents, Quitney and Annie Johnson, and one brother, Eldo Johnson. Elbert will be sadly missed by his wife, Franciene of the home; sons, Gary Johnson and wife Charlotte of Haskell, and Jerrell Johnson and girlfriend Emily Medford of Haskell; grandchildren, Toby Johnson and wife Alex of Tennessee, Blade Johnson and girlfriend Desirae of Aspermont and her son, Grayson, Justin Arendall and wife Amanda of Haskell, Texas, Matthew Arendall and wife Tasha of Weatherford, Texas, and Audra Arendall of Stamford; great-grandchildren, Brooklynn and Kaylee Johnson of Lexington, Tenn., Casey and MaKayla Arendall of Haskell, Vayden Arendall of Weatherford, and Garrett and Ethan Arendall of Stamford; nephews, Brad Johnson of Dallas, Kirby Johnson and wife Kim of Temple, Kyle Johnson and wife Amy of Orlando, Fla., Joel Johnson and wife Shari of Winter Park, Fla., and Burl Baker and wife Karen of Austin; niece, Becky Baker Horne and husband Joe of Grapevine, Texas; and sisters-in-law, Jewel Baker of Austin, Texas, and Nelwyn Johnson of Temple, Texas. Pallbearers for Mr. Johnson are Joey Kimbrough, Rex Pittman, Tim Pringle, John Sam Rike, Lonnie Meredith and Keith Everett. Online condolences can be shared with Franciene and family by visiting www.smithfamilyfh.com.