Moreine Johnson

Moreine Johnson was 95 years old, and was born in Roanoke Virginia on 27 September 1917, to James and Martha Elizabeth Wilks. She had five brothers and four sisters. Moreine grew up in Virginia, married Ernest Knuckles, and had three children, Pat, Charlotte, and Milton. She and Ernest later divorced. Milton lives in Helena, Montana, and her two oldest daughters are deceased. Moreine moved to Idaho when her children were young, and subsequently met and married her second husband, Evert Johnson. They moved to DeBorgia, Montana, and had a daughter Jean Elizabeth, who resides in Dillon,Montana with her husband Don Rice. Moreine and Evert built a beautiful log home that is still occupied by a family today. She and Evert spent many hard years cutting down pine trees and building their home from the ground up.

Moreine had many jobs in her younger days some of which included working in a bakery shop and as a shop keeper in her sister Mary’s Five and Dime Store.

After marrying Evert and moving to Montana, she turned her hand to many jobs. At one time she helped a family start up their restaurant business. Another time, she helped cook on a dude ranch. Each spring and fall she would don her rubber gloves and rubber rain gear to go to work on a tree nursery where she would sort trees for six weeks in the spring and then again in the fall. A golden opportunity arose in the mid 1970’s when a major highway was built and she secured a job as a Flag Person directing traffic during construction. This job took Moreine to many different cities throughout Montana. Evert passed away in 1980.

In 1993, Moreine moved to Spokane, Washington to be closer to her sisters Claire, Mary and Bernice. In 2003, Moreine’s grandaughter moved her to Orlando Florida, where she had been residing in a Nursing Home. She was very active in her new home, frequently going on outings to the various Disney Parks, dinner shows, shopping malls, and local restaurants. She even survived a day at the Gatorland Park!

No grass grew under her feet.

Moreine was a very loving and caring person to all the staff and residents at the Nursing Home. A memorial service at Lutheran Haven Nursing Home was held in her honor. There was standing room only. Moreine is fondly remembered by many both in Orlando and in DeBorgia.

Her many acts of kindness and charity are mentioned often. Moreine is survived by a son and daughter, 2 granddaughters, and 4 grandsons. Her ashes will be interred in the DeBorgia Cemetery.

A memorial service is planned for Moreine at 10:00 am on Sunday, July 21, in Deborgia.