Edna M. Johnson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1901. Last December she turned 106. Edna was from a family of long-lived women: her two sisters, Eva Long and Gertrude Andrews, lived to be 101 and 87, respectively, their mother also lived to be 101. Edna was a teenager in Chicago when girls wore white and lace and had tiny, tiny waists. Her father drove one of the first Model-T Fords in Chicago. She was a young married woman in the 1920s - flappers, speakeasies, and more Model T's - just imagine! Edna was married to Richard Johnson, also of Chicago, for over 50 years, though they lived most of that time in Los Angeles, CA. Edna was an accountant for a printing company until she retired -- eventually as a partner in the business. Edna and Richard had no children, but were close to their families and a wealth of friends with whom they entertained and traveled all over the world. The Los Angeles horse rack track, Hawaii, and Las Vegas were some of their favorite places. Imagine being in your thirties during the Great Depression. One of Edna's strengths was her excellent business sense, and she and Richard survived hard times and came out on top. They moved to Austin from California in the mid-1960s so Edna and her sisters could be near each other and their mother. After Richard's death in the early 1970s, Edna made many new friends, including Larry Jones, with whom she traveled all over the world. At 99, Edna broke a thigh pulling big potted plants in from the cold, but would slow down much. At 102, she admitted she was beginning to feel her age a bit. At 106, her movement was restricted, but her spirit never lost its feistiness. What a piece of history she experienced! What a trip! She is survived by a great-niece and nephew (by marriage) in Indiana and a great-niece in Austin, Rhonda Sue Long. Also six great- great-nieces and nephews and two great-great-great-nephews. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, 2008, at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery 2800 Hancock Dr. Austin, Texas. Memorials and guestbook online at http://wcfish.com

Published in the Austin American-Statesman on 7/26/2008