Page 5 - Book of Remembrance Sinai

Alice Wayne Johnson

Birth: March 25, 1938 in Fort Worth, TX

Died: July 24, 2016 in Fremont, NE

Age at death: 78

Spouse: J. Ronald Johnson

Children: Paul (Beth) Johnson
Andrew (Anna) Johnson

Grandchildren: Wes Johnson & Lyla Johnson
Siblings: Marsha (Ron) Rolander, Joel
(Freda) Woodard, & Nate (Cynthia) Woodard

Alice Wayne Johnson, a warm and kind woman who cherished faith, family, music and
community throughout her life, was born on March 25, 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas. She grew up
in Texas until, inspired by her mother and hero, Alice W. Woodward, she moved to Lindsborg,
Kansas, where she attended and graduated from Bethany College with a degree in Music
Education. At Bethany she also met the love of her life and husband of fifty-five years,
J. Ronald Johnson, with whom she raised two sons, Paul and Andrew.

Alice embarked on a career in music education over the span of thirty-eight years in Kansas and
Nebraska. Alice began teaching in the Fremont Public Schools as a general music teacher in
1973, and shortly thereafter founded the Fremont Orchestra Program. Throughout her career,
Alice inspired and was loved by hundreds of music students.

After retiring from Fremont Public Schools in 1998, she served as a Master Teacher at the
University String Project, to prepare the next generation of music teachers. Alice received many
awards for excellence and dedication to teaching over her career, including being elected to the
Nebraska Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition to teaching, Alice was an
accomplished musician on the violin and viola, playing with the Duluth Symphony Orchestra,
Heartland Philharmonic and Orchestra Omaha. She provided music for numerous events and
celebrations, as a soloist or as part of a music ensemble.

Alice was passionate about her relationship with Sinai Lutheran Church. She was very involved
with the music program, serving as director of the cherub choir, the children’s choir, the youth
choir, the adult choir and the hand-bell choir at various times. She presented special music many
times (violin or viola), and performed for weddings, funerals and other special occasions.

Alice passed away on Sunday, July 24, 2016, at Nye Legacy, following an informal concert in
her honor by friends, colleagues and former students.

She is survived by her husband, son Paul Johnson and his wife Beth, and son Andrew Johnson
and his wife, Anna; her beloved grandchildren Wes Johnson and Lyla Johnson; her sister,
Marsha(Ron) Rolander, her brothers Joel (Freda) Woodard and Nate (Cynthia) Woodard, as
well as hundreds of music students, colleagues and friends.

One of her favorite hymns was “Earth and All Stars”: Earth and all stars! Loud rushing planets!
Sing to the Lord a new song! Hail, wind and rain! Loud blowing snowstorms! Sing to the Lord a
new song! God has done marvelous things. I too sing praises with a new song!

Herbert F. Brokering, © 1968 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress