Blanche Dabney Johnson

1916 - 2008

Blanche Dabney Johnson died Sunday evening, July 27, 2008, at her home on Krueger Hill, south of Brownwood.
Graveside service: 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, in Greenleaf Cemetery. Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at First United Methodist Church in Brownwood. Visitation: The family will receive visitors and friends 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Davis-Morris Funeral Home.
Memorials: The family suggests that memorials in her name be made to First United Methodist Church of Brownwood, 2500 11th St., Brownwood, Texas 76801, or a charity of choice.
Blanche Dabney Johnson (Mrs. J. Edward Johnson) was a faithful and obedient servant of the Lord, a loving wife and mother, a trusting sister and friend, and a longtime community leader and activist in the Central Texas region whose influence was felt statewide.
Blanche was the daughter of Ada Thomas Dabney and Joseph Wharton Dabney. She was born on her parents' Dabney Hill Ranch east of Blanket, the youngest of the five Dabney girls. She graduated from Blanket High School at age 16 as valedictorian. She graduated from Howard Payne College as valedictorian and was voted most popular girl. She attended graduate school at the University of Colorado, where she worked towards a masteer's degree in speech. In 1938 she was called to Comanche to teach high school English and served as the school’s theatrical director. Later she accepted a teaching position in Brownwood, where she met the attorney J. Edward Johnson. They were married in Blanket on Aug. 20, 1941.
She and J. Edward moved to Dallas, where they raised their family before returning to Brownwood in 1960 and establishing their residence on Krueger Hill.
After her husband’s death, Blanche continued philanthropic work, volunteer activities, began writing and publishing books of poetry and song, and created needleworks, which included a series of afghans, one of which won a blue ribbon at the 1968 State Fair of Texas. She enjoyed playing the piano, genealogy, gardening and playing games with her children and grandchildren. She was instrumental in the establishment of a SMU scholarship for ministerial students and other scholarships at various universities, including the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom at Howard Payne University. In recognition of her tireless work in the fields of mentoring and philanthropy, she was honored by the Texas Women's Chamber of Commerce in 1999 as one of the 100 Texas Women of the Century.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, J. Edward; her parents; and sisters Elizabeth (Mrs. Harry) Bettis, Ada (Mrs. Norman) Locks, Maud (Mrs. Neil) Shaw and Jo (Mrs. Arch) Wimberly.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Don Scroggs, Bill Blagg, Nolberto Tobias, Christine Rose, Barbara Barron, Paula Leon and Dr. Tom Byrd for the friendship, love and support they have provided during the past few years.
Survivors: Children, Kathleen Dabney of Brownwood, Ed Johnson Jr. and wife, Mary, of Fort Worth, Elizabeth Johnson of Brownwood and Mitchell Johnson of Fort Worth; grandchildren, Edward Johnson of Jacksonville, Fla., Jack Johnson of Baton Rouge, La., Philip Johnson of Clemson, S.C., and Ryan Harper of Boston; and nieces and nephews, Harry Bettis of Graham, Zach Bettis of St. Louis, Ann Enloe of San Angelo, Bill McAlpine of Blanket, Carolyn Jackson, Elizabeth Lowrance and Martha Gamblin, all of Arlington, Joseph Bettis of Bellingham, Wash., Carlos Ashley of Llano, Roger Garrett of Granbury, Jonibeth Evans of Arlington, Adele Ashley Waide of Austin and Sarah Mainer Murphy of DeSoto and their respective families. Blanche's life was a product of hills. She was born and raised on one and lived and died on another, and they provided her with not so much a lofty perch, but rather a clear view. Her spirit will remain as long as there are hills in Texas.