Wallowa County native Mina Hazel, (Womack, Litchfield) Johnson died Thursday, March 21, 1996, at Wallowa Memorial Hospital. She had been a resident of the Wallowa County Nursing Home for the past year.
She was born December 12, 1903, at Lostine, the daughter of Jacob (Clairborne) and Emily (Elestia-Emma) Womack.
As a young woman she met and married Ira Litchfield. They had two children, James M. (McClelland) and Esther D. He preceded her in death.
On August 20, 1937, she married Eugene E. (Tiny) Johnson. They lived in Wallowa for many years before moving to Enterprise. He preceded her in death in 1979.
She worked as a dispatcher for the city and county before she retired.
Mina was a member of the Christian Church, and the Stitch and Chatter Club. She was a devoted mother and grandmother.
She is survived by her son, James Litchfield of Wallowa and a daughter Esther D. Carper of Enterprise; five grandchildren, Melodie (Twidwell) Bailey and Ron Carper of Hillsboro, Oregon., Judy Horton of Wallowa, Marvin Litchfield of Portland, Oregon and Larry Twidwell of California; and eight great-grandchildren.
She was also preceded in death by two grandchildren, Gary Carper and Steve Litchfield, two sisters and daughter-in-law, Joan Litchfield.
Funeral services were held at the Bollman Funeral Home on Monday, March 25, with internment following at the Bramlet Cemetery in Wallowa. Remembrances may be made to the Enterprise Christian Church, Wallowa County Nursing Home or Wallowa Memorial Hospital in care of the Bollman Funeral Home, 315 W. Main, Enterprise, Oregon.
Note:
I remember Mina and Gene had a farm as you left Wallowa going to Lostine, just as you entered the valley, there on the left was the ranch that they operated for years, this is where my memory of my great grandmother Emily (Emma) was. I remember that Gene and Aunt Mina moved to Alder Slope and he farmed there before he became chief of Police of Enterprise, Oregon. I remember him later becoming a judge in Enterprise, maybe a municipal Judge.
Aunt Mina and Uncle Gene were very nice to me, I always enjoyed going to visit them when I was young.
Contributed by: Gary Jaensch
June 04, 2003