Maudine (Smith) Johnson passed from this life on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2024, at Belfair of McAlester, McAlester, OK. She was born on Oct. 10, 1935, the eighth child of eleven born to Golden O. and Lena Mae (Frair) Smith near the community of Trenton in rural southwest McIntosh County.
Maudine is survived by her sons: Ron Johnson and wife Candis of Ben Wheeler, TX, Marvin Johnson of Eufaula, OK and David Johnson and wife Glenda of Eufaula, OK and one sister, Lizziebeth Looper of Carson, OK. Maudine was blessed with eight grandchildren, 10 greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild along with many nephews, nieces and a host of life-long friends, including one very special friend, Verna Brackett.
Maudine grew up living the life of a sharecropper’s daughter near Dustin, OK. Maudine accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior during her youth and was baptized at First Baptist Church in Dustin. Maudine received her education in Dustin Public Schools where she was involved in 4-H, basketball and softball. Maudine was a proud graduate of Dustin High School in the class of 1954. Maudine always looked forward to attending the Dustin Alumni Banquet each year. For Maudine, Dustin was heaven on earth.
On April 4, 1953, Maudine married Carrel Johnson at First Baptist Church in Dustin. They shared 63 years of marriage before Carrel passed away in 2017. Maudine and Carrel spent their early years together in the Wichita/ Haysville, KS area where Maudine worked as a keypunch operator for Boeing Aircraft Company.
While in Kansas, Maudine loved to play softball in the summer and bowling in the winter.
In 1968, Maudine and the family returned to Oklahoma where she found employment with American Airlines in Tulsa in data processing.
Maudine and Carrel always desired to return home where their life began. They purchased land west of Eufaula beginning in the 1950s and eventually built a home on the property lovingly known as “The Farm.” Maudine and the family moved to the farm during the summer of 1970 where she was able to live a full life until her health began to fail in 2022.
Over the years on the farm Maudine enjoyed caring for her yard, tending flowers around the house, planting a big garden each summer and canning the produce and decorating for holidays, especially Christmas.
Maudine worked at Elsing, a local sewing factory, for a number of years before gaining employment at Eufaula Public Schools in the food service department before retiring in 2001.
Maudine had a passion for coaching girls’ softball, and she coached summer league softball for over 30 years, impacting the lives of many teenage girls.
When grandchildren came along, Maudine was a devoted grandmother; she would often sacrifice her own wants and needs for the grandchildren. Maudine loved going to J.M.’s restaurant every Friday or Saturday night to enjoy J.M.’s shrimp dinners. Maudine spent her retirement years reading romance books at night, watching Atlanta Braves baseball, University of Oklahoma women’s basketball and softball, watching Gaither gospel music programs and old westerns on television, such as, Tales of Wells Fargo and Gunsmoke.
When Carrel’s health began to fail, Maudine was a faithful caretaker for him until his death.
Maudine was always a small-framed person but was certainly a tough one. Maudine survived a terrible car accident, major colon surgery, cardiac problems and eventually colon cancer, but she always overcame her health issues. Maudine’s health began to fail when dementia developed and manifested to Alzheimer’s disease.
When Maudine could no longer live alone, she left the farm and transitioned to Belfair of McAlester Assisted Living. Maudine accepted the change of lifestyle gracefully and never complained about leaving the farm. At Belfair, Maudine was known for always dressing up for meals in the dining room, sewing on some type of garment and watching music programs and Gunsmoke on television.
During the time of Maudine’s final decline, she always had a smile on her face and went to be with the Lord peacefully with family by her side.
The family is so very thankful to the staff and caregivers at Belfair of McAlester and Southeast Hospice for the compassionate and loving care provided to Maudine.
Maudine was preceeded in death by her husband Carrel Johnson, her parents, six brothers: Jessie Smith, Edward Smith, Arlie Smith, Johnny Ray Smith, Charles Smith, and Jasper Gene Smith; three sisters: Cora Ashton, Wordna Martin and Morice Thomas as well as a very special friend Wendy Fromdahl.
The funeral service was under the care of Hunn Black & Merritt Funeral Home and Crematory. Services were officiated by Pastor Jullian Ingram at First Baptist Church Eufaula, OK on December 30, 2024.
Interment was at Hanna Cemetery Hanna, OK.
The pallbearers were Dillion Johnson, Christopher Johnson, Gage Berry, Brad Conley, Johnny Jennings and Jeff Cherry. Honorary pallbearers were Maudine’s long-time neighbors: Julie and Johnny Duncan, Carol and Gary Lindley and Glenn and Shirley Breedlove.
