Margaret Elizabeth Johnson

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Margaret Elizabeth Johnson (Schenher) at the age of 94 after a short illness, on the evening of September 28, 2022, surrounded by her family.

She is survived by her 3 sons and 6 daughters: Elaine (Art) Poschner, Darlene (Christian) Monette, Michael (Denise) Johnson, Beverly Johnson, Phyllis Johnson, Dennis (Justine) Johnson, Robert (Janet) Johnson, Donna (Brian) Clark and Brenda Tourand, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Also mourning her loss are her siblings, nieces, nephews, and many spiritual friends.

Margaret Elizabeth Johnson (Schenher) was the third child born to Michael Schenher and Margaret Schenher (Hirt). She grew up with 9 brothers and sisters in a two-room tar paper shack on the family farm located in the Viceroy district of Saskatchewan. She was an avid softball player and curler in her youth, even winning the top prize of a blue Pyrex platter that is still used today. She could often be found in the fields helping her father with numerous chores which she loved.

Margaret was born during the Great Depression. Times were difficult but they never did without. Her father always found a way to meet the needs of his growing family, even raising cattle that were sold to purchase necessities. They didn’t have running water in their two-room shack so he would carry water into the house from the river. She reminisced wistfully about how cold and tasty the water was on that farm when her father finally drilled a well. Margaret also thought fondly on how her mother taught her girls many life skills. The skills she learned in her youth stayed with her all her life and she in turn passed on her love of cooking, canning, gardening, knitting, and sewing to her children and grandchildren.

Margaret faced tragic loss in her youth when at 15 her younger sister Caroline died suddenly at the age of 12. This tragedy was followed a short nine months later when her mother also died suddenly. Margaret was 16 and suddenly left without the person she was closest to in her family, her mother. Margaret came from a very religious household and went to church every Sunday. Her father prayed before every meal and she, even as a young child, knelt and said prayers before bed. When she experienced these tragedies, she had many questions about death. When these questions went unanswered, it made her long for answers.

In 1945 Margaret spotted a handsome cowboy from the Big Butte area. This young cowboy ended up being the love of her life, Earl Johnson, and on October 17, 1950, they were married. In 1951 they moved to Minnesota where their first 3 children were born. Eventually they moved back to Saskatchewan where by 1961 the family grew to 7 children. The goal for Margaret and Earl was to own their own farm and in 1966 they were able to purchase a small 78-acre farm near Ste. Anne Manitoba where 2 more children completed the family. Margaret worked tirelessly as a homemaker while the children were young. She spent endless hours baking up to 10 loaves of bread each day, canning some 600 – 700 jars a year, helped with gardening, yard work and chores with the animals. She continued canning into her 90s, making her own apple juice.

As they were busy raising their family, both Margaret and Earl had a desire to learn more about God and the Bible. When members of Earl’s family began to study with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Margaret still had unanswered questions. She was amazed to learn from them that God not only had a personal name, Jehovah, but was also shown from the Bible what happens at death. These were the answers she had longed to find since she was a youth. Both Margaret and Earl were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses on January 1, 1955. They raised their children to have a love for the truth from the Bible, and a respect for their grand creator Jehovah God and are happy that their children in turn raised their grandchildren and great-grandchildren the same way. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, Margaret and Earl spent many hours sharing in a volunteer Bible education work and sharing what they had learned from the Bible with others in the community.

Margaret and Earl spent many happy years raising their family and continued to live on the family farm until Earl’s passing in 1995. Margaret had comforted others who lost loved ones in death, reminding them of God’s future promise of living forever in a paradise earth where their sadness, sickness, pain, and death would not exist. When she lost Earl, she took comfort from the promise found in Revelation 21:3, 4 – “With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” Margaret often arranged to spend more time in the volunteer Bible education work at times spending 60-90 hours a month in this endeavour.

As the years went by, Margaret was able to travel to visit friends and family across Canada and in the States, even moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia for 4 years. If she couldn’t physically visit, she was sure to be in regular contact with her large extended family either through telephone, cards or letters. When she returned to Winnipeg in 2002, she settled in the St. Vital Area where she attended the Glenlawn congregation along with other members of her family. She was seldom absent from weekly congregation meetings. In 2019 she was reassigned to the River Park congregation where she adapted to change once more. She showed initiative and adaptability to learn the use of a tablet in her 90s when her weekly congregation meetings switched to online via Zoom during COVID-19. In April 2022 she required more care and moved to Thorvaldson Care Centre in the Broadway congregation and remained there until her death.

Over the years Margaret faced varying degrees of health issues from having hip replacement surgery, to glaucoma, cataract surgery, a broken wrist, carpal tunnel surgery, reduced mobility and most recently bouts of pneumonia and congestive heart failure which sadly she could not recover from. Regardless of what ailments she faced, she always relied on her heavenly father Jehovah as her source of comfort. Her favourite scripture was Isaiah 41:10 – “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will fortify you, yes, I will help you, I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness.” Margaret found this scripture a great comfort, especially in her last days and she would want us all to find the same comfort from the Bible. She fought bravely, right to the end and we all expected she would bounce back just like she had many times before. Despite her trials, she never lost sight of her hope of living forever on a paradise earth and her faith remained strong. She showed her family right to the very end there is no better hope than Jehovah’s promises.

The family would like to thank the staff at Thorvaldson Care Centre and the doctors and staff at the Grace Hospital who cared for her needs in such a kind way. A special thank you to her granddaughter Anita who spent day and night with Margaret in palliative care, providing weeks of tender care. We would also like to thank all friends and family members who spent endless hours in hospital with Margaret, sharing prayers, scriptures, laughs and memories, showing her love and extraordinary kindness at a challenging time.

A memorial service for Margaret will take place on October 8, 2022 at 2:00 pm at the Kingdom Hall Centre located at 227 Lakewood Blvd, Winnipeg. An option to attend virtually via Zoom will also be available. Please reach out to a family member to receive the log-in information.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greenacresfuneralhome.com for the Johnson family.