Neva Johnson

Palmer resident Neva Johnson, 79, died at the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center surrounded by her family on May 22, 2010.

A funeral will be held at Bodenburg Butte Baptist Church on Saturday at 4 p.m. A graveside service will be held in Springfield, S.C., in the Brodie/Johnson Family Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in memory of Neva Johnson to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the Palmer Senior Citizens Center building fund.

Neva was born on Aug. 19, 1930, in Dusk, W.V. In 1950, she married the love of her life, Don Johnson. Together they had one daughter, Donna. Neva worked many years at the Southern Bell Telephone Co. to help support her small family. She eventually retired and decided to move to Alaska in 1979 to be with her grandchildren after they were born. She made many sacrifices to be with her grandchildren and because of that they said, “She was the best Grandma ever and we will miss her with all of our hearts.”

Neva’s greatest joy was her Lord Jesus Christ and her family. She was actively involved in Respect Your Elders Adult Day Services for many years and will be greatly missed by all the friends she made there.

Neva was preceded in death by her husband Don, and her sister Lorna Litchfield.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Donna and Johnnie Davis; sister and brother-in-law Fonda and Don Smith; and sister Helen Ratliff; grandchildren Jonathan Davis, Sarah Sena, Joshua Davis and his wife Kyla, Josiah Davis and his wife Alia, Pablo Rodriguez and his wife McKenna, Sean Rodriguez, Gena Johnson, and Chellie Miller; many great-grandchildren and extended family in South Carolina; and many loving and compassionate caregivers, grandson Joshua and wife Kyla, Cathy Adler, Angie Bailey, Ona Petluska and Paula Wall.

Arrangements were en-trusted to Legacy Funeral Home-Kehl’s Palmer Chapel.