Mary Johnston

Mary Alma Snyder Johnston born August 15, 1934, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on September 14, 2021. She was born to Glenn and Beth Snyder in Sydney Montana, the youngest of 4 children. She had fond memories of her dad working on the big rigs building roads and her mother teaching her all about this world thru the joy of reading. She loved to read and enjoyed reading to her great grandson Hunter. Mary became a registered nurse at the Billing Nursing school in Billing Montana in 1955. She met the love of her life, Ruben William Johnston, while being a camp nurse at Montana Bible camp during the summer of 1956. They got married June 9, 1957. They went off to St. Paul Bible College, until dad was drafted in the Army. They ended up at Fort Lewis/Tacoma area where they served as youth pastors for the Tacoma Alliance church. They moved to the Renton area where she worked in a doctor’s office and helped with the youth at Roadside Chapel. It was while they were at Roadside Chapel, they had the great privilege of mentoring quite a few youths in following the Lord in service and being missionaries. They moved to the Tumwater area where Mary enjoyed having Child Evangelism 5-day clubs in her house. They enjoyed having chicken, ducks and cows as a mini farm. Mary was so full of fun and adventure. Often family would visit from across the country and they took them to the Olympic Peninsula and to see the Pacific Ocean. After settling in Winlock WA, Mary was an OB nurse at Longview Hospital. She helped her kids & neighborhood kids with 4-H projects and showing at the fair. She enjoyed watching her son play football and the other sports he liked. She enjoyed watching Jana show horses at the fair. She enjoyed watching Arajean show cows. She was always an encouragement to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She taught us how to garden with her father, then preserve the products we grew. She was such a lovely and caring wife, mom, grandma and great grandma, sister (in-law), daughter and aunt. We would watch Little House on the Prairie as a family. The family moved to Selah WA in 1978 where she was an OB nurse at Yakima Memorial Hospital. She enjoyed helping deliver many babies of her friends and watching them grow up. A few years later, she worked at Good Sam nursing home, where she met her life-long friend Mary Schinenberger. Mary took Mary and Ruben on a trip to Lake Chelan with their great grandson Hunter this past summer. And they also enjoyed a trip to Soap Lake in August. Mary went to work at Selah Convalescent Nursing Home as the Director of Nursing prior to her retirement. Just because you retire from nursing, she never stops being a nurse. She took care of several family members during their last days. Ruben and Mary enjoyed taking each of their grandchildren on a very special trip to Hawaii-Katie enjoyed going with her grandparents and Aunt Mary. Cindy, Evan & Ben enjoyed the next trip to the Big Island and Kristen, Kelsey and Candi enjoyed their trip to the main Island. Mary enjoyed traveling with Ruben in the big semi around the country for several years after Mary retired. Then after Ruben retired, they enjoyed a couple winters in Arizona, prior to settling back in Yakima. Mary enjoyed spending Thanksgiving 2020 in Las Vegas with her daughter Arajean, Hunter- her great grandson and Ruben. They enjoyed a trip to the Red Rock Canyon, a trip thru the Christmas Lights at the Las Vegas Speed way and the Christmas lights at the Chocolate factory with the Cactus’s plants. They enjoyed going to the Pro Bass aquarium. And spending lots of time playing Monopoly deal. Hunter and Mary (GEGE as she was called by her grandkids & great grandkids) loved to play games, put puzzles together, read and bake cookies (they loved making lots of cookies together). Mary watched Hunter since he was a baby while his mother and grandma worked and what a blessing Mary was to Hunter- Mary will be missed so much by Hunter. Mary is survived by her husband Ruben, Children- Bill (Carol) Johnston, Arajean Johnston, Jana (Alan) Zion. Her grandchildren & great children-which were the joy of her life- Katie (Hunter)Hayward, Cindy (Michael) (Jackson, Oliver and Riley) Sauve, Kristen (Kael, Dakota) Moore, Ben (Angie) (Slade, Hayden) Zion, Candi (Tim) Kasal, Evan Johnston, Kelsey (RJ) Johnston. Her sister Bea (Dick) Seney-their kids and grandkids, her Aunt Phyllis Pickering Dempsen, numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and lots of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents-Glenn and Beth Snyder, brothers Glen Snyder, Donald and Caroline Snyder, In-laws Cecil and Katie Johnston, brothers/sisters-in-law and several friends. The reunion she enjoyed with all her family and friends who had passed before her and the hope of all of us left is this Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Mary wants you to know that GOD’S ABC’s were the most important thing in her life and want them to be the most important thing in your life. A-Admit your need-God is holy, we are not. Our sin separates us from Him. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. B-Believe on Jesus-God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us Romans 5:8 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Acts 16:31. C-Call out to Him-Talk with God and accept His free gift of salvation today. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13. We love you mom, will miss you so much, but will see you again in heaven. HUGS AND KISSES. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary Johnston, please visit our flower store.