Judy (Whitewater) Johnson

Judy Ann Whitewater-Johnson was born on November 18th, 1951, in Tahlequah, OK, the daughter of Redbird Whitewater and raised by Jennie (Whitewater) Girty. She came from a large family and adored her brothers and sisters, Andy Campbell, Robert Whitewater, Robert Girty, Chuck Girty, Andy Girty, Lorene Ballard, Sue Thompson, Karen Washee-Simpson, Mary Hayes, Debbie Mason and Peggy Stepp. Her siblings included Timothy Washington, Mary Vann, Darlene Wood, Nakita Walker, and Martha Reece. She grew up in the Woodall, OK community, and attended grade school there and graduated high school in Tahlequah, OK. She loved playing softball and hanging out with her friends. Once she graduated she began her studies at OSU in Okmulgee, to become a Medical Assistant. In 1981, she met and married Barney Johnson. She was blessed with two sons, Boady and Bryan. When she wasn’t working, she was still playing softball. She also liked meeting her friends at the casino for a little fun and a lot of laughs. She enjoyed a good game of cornhole, heading out to do a little fishing, or harvesting wild mushrooms, poke salad, and wild onions. You could take her down any country road in the summer and she would find something to see and someone to visit. She was feisty, full of life and opinionated. Yet she had a kind streak and would gladly give you the shirt off her back and her last bite of food. Her grandchildren and nieces and nephews were the light of her life and she loved watching them play sports and anything else they chose to do, she was their biggest fan. She possessed a deeply spiritual side and attended Pow Wows faithfully, paying homage to her ancestors. She lost her husband in 1987, but never saw the need to remarry. She said her children were enough for her, and she enjoyed every minute until her passing came in May 13th, 2024 at her home surrounded by the ones she adored. She was 72 years old and leaves a vacancy that no one else can fill.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Famous and Betsy Whitewater and Harlan and Lucy (Jumper) Carey. She also joins her father, mom Jennie Girty and five brothers, Andy Campbell, Robert Whitewater, Timothy Washington, Robert Girty, Andy Girty and one sister, Mary Vann.

Those left to cherish her memory include her boy, Boady and Carrie Johnson Sr. of Tahlequah and Bryan Johnson also of Tahlequah, and Bobby “Cub” Whitewater and wife Lisa of Peggs, OK. She leaves her brothers and sisters, George Girty and wife Peggy of Tahlequah, Rufus Girty and wife Linda of Irving, TX, Nakita Walker of Keys, Martha Reece of Tahlequah, Darlene Wood of Ft. Gibson, Lorene Ballard and husband Butch of Woodall, OK, Sue Thompson of Woodall, OK, Karen Washee-Simpson and husband Doug of Salina, OK, and Mary Hayes and husband Kenneth of Oklahoma, Debbie Mason and husband Doug of Ft. Gibson, OK and Peggy Stepp of Woodall, OK. She lives on in her five grandchildren, Boady Johnsons Jr and wife Lauren of Tahlequah, Danica Johnson-Stahl and husband Caden of Tahlequah, Hunter Johnson of Tahlequah, Josie Johnson of Tahlequah and Londynn Bell also of Tahlequah.She also leaves her three nephews, Terry, Randy and Brad all of Oklahoma. She also leaves her best friend and running buddy, Linda Waddle of Park Hill, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.

A celebration of life of Judy Ann Whitewater-Johnson will be held on Friday, May 24th, 2024 at Reed-Culver Funeral Home at 2:00 PM with Minister Vern Charette officiating. She will then be laid to rest at Greenleaf Cemetery with her dad, Redbird Whitewater.

All of her beloved nieces and nephews are her honorary pallbearers.