Sarah Ann Johnson

The St. Francis High School Community would like to extend our condolences to the Johnson family on the passing of Sarah Ann Johnson, teacher at St. Francis HIgh School from 1964 - 1971.
Sarah Ann Johnson passed away on August 15, 2017 in the home of her daughter Teresa, in Albuquerque, NM. She was born November 16, 1922 in Port Huron, Michigan. She moved to Raton with her husband “TJ” Johnson in 1972.

She was the mother of 6 children, Colleen Nelis and her late husband Jimmy Nelis, Shawn Johnson, Mary Kyle Schumpp and her late husband, Jerry Schumpp, Tim Johnson and his wife Linda, Teresa D’Anza Martinez and her husband Nathan, and Melissa Bowers. She has 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. Her children believe she would tell you her 94 years were full and complete. They often refer to her as a “woman before her time”.

She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1944 with a language degree. She passed up an opportunity as an interpreter with the United Nations to join the Navy, where she taught flight instrumentation to Navy pilots during WW II. After WWII she met and married Thomas R. Johnson (TJ). While living in the Midwest she taught high school foreign language where she was well loved and respected by her students. In Raton she taught at St. Patrick’s Catholic School and worked in Personnel at MCMC Long Term. She and TJ were also entrepreneurs, owning and operating a small hobby shop and then purchasing and renovating Raton’s El Portal Hotel which they owned until 1997.

Her spirit of volunteerism was demonstrated while she volunteered with the MCMC Auxiliary. She taught each of her children to be independent and encouraged them to be kind and compassionate. She lived by the Golden Rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. She had a quick wit and could easily make her children laugh. She enjoyed traveling with TJ and they made many short and long trips around the country in their retirement years. She was loved dearly in life and will be missed by those surviving her.

Preceding her in death, were her husband TJ, her brother Tom, her sons-in-law Jimmy and Jerry. Each of whom was standing ready to welcome her to her new home in heaven with our Lord and Father Jesus Christ. 

Condolences may be sent to Sarah's son:
Shawn Johnson
36 Private Road 2001
Raton, NM 87740

St. Francis High School