McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

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    Paul N. Johnson
October 22, 2012

Paul N. Johnson

Submitted report

McALESTER — Paul N. Johnson, 82, of Leflore, formerly of McAlester, died Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, at the Veterans Center in Talihina.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. John’s Catholic Church in McAlester, officiated by Father Leonard Higgins.

Funeral services are under the direction of Brumley Mills Funeral Home.

Born on Nov. 30, 1929, in Bristow, he was the son of Loddie N. and Edith (Alcorn) Johnson. He grew up in Bristow and Slick.

In March 1951, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the Fourteenth Air Force, 323rd Bomb Wing, until his honorable discharge on Aug. 24, 1952. He and Patsy Blankenship were married June 27, 1957, in Sapulpa.

He joined the police force in Bristow and later was a sheriff’s deputy for Creek County. He graduated from the 17th Patrol School and became an Oklahoma State Highway Patrolman. He was first stationed in Crescent, then Guthrie, then in McAlester in 1969, where he stayed until his retirement as a Second Lieutenant in 1986, after 26 years as a state trooper.

In 1996, he was elected county commissioner for district 2 where he served until retiring in 2002. He was a cowboy and competed in rodeos all his life. He was a member of the Senior Steer Ropers Association. He enjoyed playing golf, fishing and always grew a large garden. He enjoyed his family. He also enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and having family cookouts and holiday gatherings. He was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church, in McAlester.

He is survived by his wife, Patsy Johnson, of the home; two sons and one daughter-in-law, Lesley and Renee Johnson, of Leflore, and Monty Johnson, of Grass Valley, Calif.; one daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Roy Ward, of Kiowa; seven grandchildren, Chloe Johnson, of Fort Collins, Colo., Cody Johnson, of Leflore, Misty Johnson, of Leflore, Johnny Paul Johnson, of Leflore, Dr. Roy Paul Ward, D.O., of Tulsa, Whitney Ward, of Midland, Texas, and Emily Rose Johnson, of Grass Valley, Calif.; great-grandchild, Lexie Johnson, of Whitesboro; sister-in-law, Wanda Bandiera, of Rockwall, Texas, and her family; several nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Jack and Charles Ray Johnson.

Pallbearers will be the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Honor Guard.

Honorary pallbearers will be J.R. Pope, Hugh Harden, Marvin Sasnett, Jim Ward, Gene Dalmont, Dr. Ewell Center, Brian Ryles, Wayne Pope, and the members of the Senior Steer Ropers Association.  

The family requests memorial donations be made to the Paul Johnson Memorial at the Talihina Veterans Center, P.O. Box 1168, Talihina, OK 74571.

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