Laura Johnson

Laura Lee (Chambers) Johnson was born February 28, 1932 in Coleman, Texas to Perry and Gladys (Dial) Chambers. Laura traveled extensively with her parents and sister, Betty, in the South and Southwest as her father chased construction work. In every town wherever they settled — no matter for how long — Laura’s mother searched out the First Baptist Church and the local library and joined both.

The family finally put down roots in Amarillo, Texas where Laura attended and graduated from Amarillo High School in 1949. She met, dated and secretly married the love of her life, Dan Johnson, on May 21, 1949, just a few days before graduating high school. After graduating, Laura announced to her parents, “Well, I’m going to go live with my husband,” at which her mother cried and her father said, “Another good man gone to the dogs.”

Laura and Dan both were of a mind to get their college degrees, graduating from West Texas State University while starting a family. Laura earned a bachelors degree in 1962 with an emphasis in business education. Within three years, she earned her masters degree as well.

She began her career in education teaching business classes at Palo Duro High School from 1963-1969. Laura then transferred to Tascosa High School in 1969 and taught a selection of business classes, such as typing, shorthand and eventually computers, until 1994. She taught her entire career with the Amarillo Independent School District. For over thirty years, Laura’s car was one of the last ones seen leaving the school parking lot each day, usually as the building was being locked up by the custodial staff late at night.

One former Tascosa student fondly remembers Laura’s instructions on the first day of class, inviting students to “join the Bath-a-Day Club,” considered a requirement to attend her class, but also as good advice for success in career and life. She was a tough-minded teacher, but always fair .Laura often said she believed she was providing her students with the skills to get work and put food on the table. Equipping student teachers from WT was another passion of Laura’s, and many former student teachers have expressed their appreciation for the excellent foundation she provided for their future careers as teachers and administrators.

Just this summer, a former student, Theresa Miller, came up to Laura and family in a restaurant proclaiming she had become a business teacher herself because of Mrs. Johnson’s excitement and love of teaching, and remembers telling herself, “I want to be just like her!” And she did, now having taught 35 years in AISD, with the ultimate honor and opportunity of getting to teach two of Laura’s grandkids how to type.

In a first-hand account of Laura’s equal treatment in the classroom, she sent her oldest daughter home with a deficiency slip for not finishing her shorthand assignment in time. Refusing to sign the slip herself, her daughter was forced to present the deficiency to her father and explain herself. Dan — a teacher himself at Sam Houston Junior High for 28 years — is quoted as saying, “Oh, it’s okay dear. It’s the fault of that lousy teacher!” But Dan dutifully signed the deficiency and her daughter made up the work and passed the class with flying colors.

Laura and Dan reared three lovely girls, all of whom attended WTSU (two graduated from WT and one graduated from Texas Tech University). All three became teachers. In the late 1970s, Laura and Dan were honored as the first WTSU Parents of the Year, which was presented to them at halftime of a WT football game.

After retiring from teaching, Laura devoted herself to her husband, reading, loving her children, grandchildren, her extended family and eventually her great grandchildren. Laura’s favorite outdoor activity was driving all around town, day and night, and in all kinds of weather. She said she prayed for all the families in every section of the city she drove through. Laura’s beloved husband died in February 2004, just short of their 55th wedding anniversary.

A familiar comment from Laura throughout her adult life was, “I haven’t been afraid of death since I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was nine years old.”In the months before her death on September 26, 2023, Laura made sure to mention in several conversations with loved ones that she was ready to “go home to Jesus.” She passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and listening to her grandson David reading from Psalm 121. Her final breath came as he quoted the final verse 8:

“The Lord will keep

Your going out and coming in

From this time forth and forevermore.”

Laura is survived by her much-loved sister Betty Carroll; her three daughters, Julie (and Charles) Hickmott, Jeanie Johnson and Janet (and Tom) Hanson; her grandchildren, Emily (and Chris) Fultz, Jeff (and Brandy) Hickmott, Marcy (and Al) Barrera, David (and Ashley) Hanson, and Andy Hanson; her great grandchildren, Jarod, Ezra, Emma, Piper, Willa, Wrenly, Ava, Ben, Madelyn, Ellis and Paul; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Ted (and Pam) Carroll, Cliff (and Robin) Carroll, Sue (and Ken) Snider, and Nancy (and Ed) Russe.