Sherry Mae Johnson

Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, wife, sister, aunt, daughter, and friend Sherry Mae Johnson, 70, passed away on Friday, March 21, 2025 at St. Charles Hospital in Bend, Oregon with her grandson, Tristan, and daughter, Kym, by her side.
Sherry was born Monday, November 15, 1954 in Santa Fe, New Mexico to Ida and Abel Wells. She grew up in Dulce, New Mexico along with her three sisters; Olivia, Lenora, Anandra and two brothers; Jason and Monte. While in Dulce, Sherry attended Dulce Elementary, Dulce Middle School, and graduated from Dulce High School in 1973.
While in her twenties, Sherry met her husband and lifelong partner, Budd Johnson. Together, they lived in New Mexico, Arizona, and Washington before settling in Central Oregon to raise four daughters; Shannon, Maria, Kym and Nikki. After raising four daughters, Sherry pursued a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from Oregon State University – Cascades and graduated in 1999.
Shortly, after graduating with her Bachelor of Arts degree, Sherry was hired by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) where she worked until her retirement in 2023. She worked in many fields within the BIA including; purchasing, real estate, and most recently probate.
Sherry was a very talented artist and originally pursued her degree to teach art. She could draw, sculpt, sew, and beadwork. Prior to moving to Bend, Sherry and her family lived in Culver, Oregon where she would garden flowers, peas and tomatoes. She enjoyed canning tomatoes from her garden and the apples from her apple tree. She also enjoyed reading, watching movies which included musicals and James Bond movies starring Sean Connery, going to the coast, drinking margaritas, and anything and everything Elvis Presley.
Sherry was a member of the Jicarilla Apache tribe and had extensive knowledge on American Indian culture and history. Her knowledge came from information passed down from previous generations, personal experiences, and through further education and research.
Sherry was preceded in death by her mother Ida, father Abel, brothers Jason and Monte, husband Budd, daughters Shannon and Nikki, grandson Brandon, and nephew Kyle. Sherry is survived by her family: daughters Maria and Kym (Jason), sisters Olivia, Lenora, and Anandra, nieces Terri and Kelly, grandsons Tristan and Carter, and great-grandson Silece.