Earl Spencer Johnson, 97, passed away Saturday, October 13, 2007, in League City, Texas. He was born on March 15, 1910, to William Walter and Jane Polk Johnson in San Augustine, Texas. The Polk family seemed related to almost everyone who was anyone in deep east Texas politics, as well as to national figures like President James K. Polk.
Earl is a "second cousin, 3rd generation removed," from President James K. Polk ancestry line.
He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Sybil Vester Johnson, on April 2, 2002. He was a long time resident of League City and Webster having moved to League City in 1937 to fulfill his life long dream of being a cowboy for the J M West Ranch.
He began working for Humble Pipeline Company in 1943 to help support his growing household. He retired at age 65 with 32 years of service with Exxon Pipeline Co. After retiring, he continued to run a small herd of cattle in Webster with his sons until getting out of the cattle business at the age of 85.
A loving and generous husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, he is survived by four sons and one daughter. He was "Granddad" to eight grandchildren. Ten Great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many loving relatives and friends also survive him.
Siblings were:
Ernest Robert Johnson (1894 - 1952)*
L. Gertrude Johnson Arendt (1895 - 1982)*
William Carl Johnson (1898 - 1978)*
Dessie M Johnson (1901 - 1902)*
Lurline Cole (1903 - 1996)*
Lottie Johnson Smith (1905 - 1953)*
Burnice Johnson Swift (1907 - 1988)*
Mary Johnson Chisum (1913 - 2002)*
This is the message and tribute that Rev. Jenkins gave to
Earl Johnson.
A Place Prepared in Cowboy heaven.
John 14:1-6
Jesus said to His followers,
“I go to prepare a place for you in my father’s house;
And if I go and do this I will come back for you.”
The Fathers house, heaven, is a special place for special people.What are the kinds of people who are admitted to this place?Most of them are ordinary people with an ordinary faith in Jesus Christ. Most of them are like me and you and Earl Johnson.
A man is defined by the things that are important to him.
What are the things that are important to you?
To Earl Johnson, his word was important to him.
His word was his bond and he was honest in all his dealings.
During the depression he owned two cotton gins. Fire destroyed both of them. He had no insurance and plenty of debt. From his meager ranch earnings he spent the next fifteen years paying off the debt he owed. Honest men are funny that way.
To Earl Johnson his family was important to him.
From the time he was a little boy he always wanted to be a cowboy.
When but a child he would tote a rope and would lasso first one thing and then another,any available post or animal that was unlucky enough for him to spot.
By the time he was 12 he was “cowboy-ing” all summer on a ranch in west Texas run by his sister’s husband. Being the 8th of 9 children he had siblings somewhat older than he was. During those summers he slept on the open range and ate from a chuck wagon. Life was good.
During the depression he cowboy-ed for the State rounding up cattle for “tick dipping”. His dream job came to him in 1937 when he went to work for the J M West Ranch in League City. He was 27 years old and living his dream. He was the last living cowboy to make the last cattle drive in 1942 along F M 518 and what is now Hwy 3, moving hundreds of head of cattle from the West Ranch in Galveston through League City to Webster.
His favorite horse was Ol’ Smokey, a true cattle horse…natural born.
He could stop on a dime, turn around and give you nine cents back.
However, Earl realized he could not adequately provide for his family on cowboy wages,
so, the next year he left his dream job and went to work for Humble Pipeline. To him the
sacrifice was the right thing to do. His family was important to him. Every decision is
judged best by hindsight. All of his children graduated from college.
He had made a good decision to forgo his dream for the dreams of his children.
To Earl being reliable was important to him. A man is defined as well by how he
presents himself on the job. Earl was punctual and always gave more than a days
work for whatever daily wage he earned. It’s the cowboy way.
He retired from Exxon at the age of 65. The times had changed and the world moved
past the cowboy days. What was a cowboy to do in the age of interstate highways, supersonic jets and internet? For the next 20 years Earl stayed close to his passion and continued to run small herds of cattle in Webster until the age of 85. In his last 12 years he was able to continue enjoying the blessings of his family. His body was becoming a bit unfriendly towards him.
The home he loved on Highland Terrace was replaced by a small room at the nursing home.
Earl needed a larger place to roam and God was preparing such a place.
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you…”We have a curiosity about the place Jesus is preparing for those who love Him. From our flights of fancy we write and sing about ivory palaces and mansions over the hilltop. I hardly think that a cowboy would call it heaven if he were cooped in some big fancy mansion. What does a cowboy need of winding staircases or crystal chandeliers? He would much prefer mountain buttes and starry skies above.
So when the Boss Angel in charge of preparing places began to work on one for Earl Johnson
he went over to Cowboy Heaven with the following instructions:
Build a ranch house out in the wide open spaces with barns and corrals and a windmill.
Plant purple sage and cactus out on the open range.
Scatter some rabbits, coyotes and horny toads.
Build some ridges to ride and canyons to explore.
Lay out trails that lead to colorful sunsets and set up campsites under the stars.
Pour out some streams with fishing and swimming holes, line them with oak, sycamore
and willow.
Toss eagles and whippoorwills into the air, chase deer and antelope onto the range.
Let’s give this cowboy a proper heaven.
When all was finished the Boss Angel mounted his fine steed to inspect the place prepared for Earl Johnson in cowboy heaven.
He galloped across the range sniffing the clean air and the aroma of purple sage.
He rode the trails of the ridges and canyons listening to the call of coyote, the trill of the whippoorwill, and the music of the breeze in the sycamore trees.
He stopped beside a stream for a drink of cool, clear water and then rode back to the ranch
house with its barns, corrals and windmill.
Dismounting, he smiled approvingly at the Foreman Angel.
It’s time to call death”, he said,
“I’ll go tell Sybil he’s on his way.”
So death was called and death came riding into the room where Earl Johnson was.
It was not an unexpected arrival. Earl, ever punctual and knowing the value of time,
was ready to let go of down here.
So he reached out and took hold of the arm of death and swung into the saddle behind him.
Together they rode off to report to the Range Boss on high and inherit the place prepared
for him in Cowboy heaven.
As they galloped up to the ranch house, there was Sybil on the front porch, as lovely as ever she was when she walked out of the orphanage, took his arm and became his bride.
Over in the corral, pawing the ground, was a feisty gray horse called Smokey.
Somewhere along the way Earl was outfitted with boots and a ten gallon hat.
While the streets of heaven may be paved with gold and such all he had in his jeans pocket was a well-worn silver dollar.
Dan Seals sings a song with this chorus:
“I think God must be a cowboy at heart
He made wide open spaces from the start
He made grass and trees, and mountains
And a horse to be a friend
And trails to lead old cowboys home again.”
It was a shepherd that wrote one of the most endearing passages of the Scripture this world
will ever know.
Shepherding is what he knew…was what he was.
But, what if he had been something else?
What if his experiences in life had been different?
What if he had been a cowboy?
His psalm may have sounded something like
The Cowboy’s Psalm
The Lord is my Range Boss, He stakes my grub.
He sets up my camp beside refreshing streams,
in grassy valleys and under starry skies.
He restores my soul.
He leads me along trails of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I ride through the shadows of the canyon of death
I will fear no harm because you are with me,
Your lariat and peacemaker reassure me.
You prepare a chuck wagon before me in the presence of rustlers and outlaws,
You bandage my wounds,
My canteen overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will ride the range of the Lord forever.
- Revised by Rev. W.E. Jenkins
Earl is a "second cousin, 3rd generation removed," from President James K. Polk ancestry line.
He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Sybil Vester Johnson, on April 2, 2002. He was a long time resident of League City and Webster having moved to League City in 1937 to fulfill his life long dream of being a cowboy for the J M West Ranch.
He began working for Humble Pipeline Company in 1943 to help support his growing household. He retired at age 65 with 32 years of service with Exxon Pipeline Co. After retiring, he continued to run a small herd of cattle in Webster with his sons until getting out of the cattle business at the age of 85.
A loving and generous husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, he is survived by four sons and one daughter. He was "Granddad" to eight grandchildren. Ten Great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many loving relatives and friends also survive him.
Siblings were:
Ernest Robert Johnson (1894 - 1952)*
L. Gertrude Johnson Arendt (1895 - 1982)*
William Carl Johnson (1898 - 1978)*
Dessie M Johnson (1901 - 1902)*
Lurline Cole (1903 - 1996)*
Lottie Johnson Smith (1905 - 1953)*
Burnice Johnson Swift (1907 - 1988)*
Mary Johnson Chisum (1913 - 2002)*
This is the message and tribute that Rev. Jenkins gave to
Earl Johnson.
A Place Prepared in Cowboy heaven.
John 14:1-6
Jesus said to His followers,
“I go to prepare a place for you in my father’s house;
And if I go and do this I will come back for you.”
The Fathers house, heaven, is a special place for special people.What are the kinds of people who are admitted to this place?Most of them are ordinary people with an ordinary faith in Jesus Christ. Most of them are like me and you and Earl Johnson.
A man is defined by the things that are important to him.
What are the things that are important to you?
To Earl Johnson, his word was important to him.
His word was his bond and he was honest in all his dealings.
During the depression he owned two cotton gins. Fire destroyed both of them. He had no insurance and plenty of debt. From his meager ranch earnings he spent the next fifteen years paying off the debt he owed. Honest men are funny that way.
To Earl Johnson his family was important to him.
From the time he was a little boy he always wanted to be a cowboy.
When but a child he would tote a rope and would lasso first one thing and then another,any available post or animal that was unlucky enough for him to spot.
By the time he was 12 he was “cowboy-ing” all summer on a ranch in west Texas run by his sister’s husband. Being the 8th of 9 children he had siblings somewhat older than he was. During those summers he slept on the open range and ate from a chuck wagon. Life was good.
During the depression he cowboy-ed for the State rounding up cattle for “tick dipping”. His dream job came to him in 1937 when he went to work for the J M West Ranch in League City. He was 27 years old and living his dream. He was the last living cowboy to make the last cattle drive in 1942 along F M 518 and what is now Hwy 3, moving hundreds of head of cattle from the West Ranch in Galveston through League City to Webster.
His favorite horse was Ol’ Smokey, a true cattle horse…natural born.
He could stop on a dime, turn around and give you nine cents back.
However, Earl realized he could not adequately provide for his family on cowboy wages,
so, the next year he left his dream job and went to work for Humble Pipeline. To him the
sacrifice was the right thing to do. His family was important to him. Every decision is
judged best by hindsight. All of his children graduated from college.
He had made a good decision to forgo his dream for the dreams of his children.
To Earl being reliable was important to him. A man is defined as well by how he
presents himself on the job. Earl was punctual and always gave more than a days
work for whatever daily wage he earned. It’s the cowboy way.
He retired from Exxon at the age of 65. The times had changed and the world moved
past the cowboy days. What was a cowboy to do in the age of interstate highways, supersonic jets and internet? For the next 20 years Earl stayed close to his passion and continued to run small herds of cattle in Webster until the age of 85. In his last 12 years he was able to continue enjoying the blessings of his family. His body was becoming a bit unfriendly towards him.
The home he loved on Highland Terrace was replaced by a small room at the nursing home.
Earl needed a larger place to roam and God was preparing such a place.
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you…”We have a curiosity about the place Jesus is preparing for those who love Him. From our flights of fancy we write and sing about ivory palaces and mansions over the hilltop. I hardly think that a cowboy would call it heaven if he were cooped in some big fancy mansion. What does a cowboy need of winding staircases or crystal chandeliers? He would much prefer mountain buttes and starry skies above.
So when the Boss Angel in charge of preparing places began to work on one for Earl Johnson
he went over to Cowboy Heaven with the following instructions:
Build a ranch house out in the wide open spaces with barns and corrals and a windmill.
Plant purple sage and cactus out on the open range.
Scatter some rabbits, coyotes and horny toads.
Build some ridges to ride and canyons to explore.
Lay out trails that lead to colorful sunsets and set up campsites under the stars.
Pour out some streams with fishing and swimming holes, line them with oak, sycamore
and willow.
Toss eagles and whippoorwills into the air, chase deer and antelope onto the range.
Let’s give this cowboy a proper heaven.
When all was finished the Boss Angel mounted his fine steed to inspect the place prepared for Earl Johnson in cowboy heaven.
He galloped across the range sniffing the clean air and the aroma of purple sage.
He rode the trails of the ridges and canyons listening to the call of coyote, the trill of the whippoorwill, and the music of the breeze in the sycamore trees.
He stopped beside a stream for a drink of cool, clear water and then rode back to the ranch
house with its barns, corrals and windmill.
Dismounting, he smiled approvingly at the Foreman Angel.
It’s time to call death”, he said,
“I’ll go tell Sybil he’s on his way.”
So death was called and death came riding into the room where Earl Johnson was.
It was not an unexpected arrival. Earl, ever punctual and knowing the value of time,
was ready to let go of down here.
So he reached out and took hold of the arm of death and swung into the saddle behind him.
Together they rode off to report to the Range Boss on high and inherit the place prepared
for him in Cowboy heaven.
As they galloped up to the ranch house, there was Sybil on the front porch, as lovely as ever she was when she walked out of the orphanage, took his arm and became his bride.
Over in the corral, pawing the ground, was a feisty gray horse called Smokey.
Somewhere along the way Earl was outfitted with boots and a ten gallon hat.
While the streets of heaven may be paved with gold and such all he had in his jeans pocket was a well-worn silver dollar.
Dan Seals sings a song with this chorus:
“I think God must be a cowboy at heart
He made wide open spaces from the start
He made grass and trees, and mountains
And a horse to be a friend
And trails to lead old cowboys home again.”
It was a shepherd that wrote one of the most endearing passages of the Scripture this world
will ever know.
Shepherding is what he knew…was what he was.
But, what if he had been something else?
What if his experiences in life had been different?
What if he had been a cowboy?
His psalm may have sounded something like
The Cowboy’s Psalm
The Lord is my Range Boss, He stakes my grub.
He sets up my camp beside refreshing streams,
in grassy valleys and under starry skies.
He restores my soul.
He leads me along trails of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I ride through the shadows of the canyon of death
I will fear no harm because you are with me,
Your lariat and peacemaker reassure me.
You prepare a chuck wagon before me in the presence of rustlers and outlaws,
You bandage my wounds,
My canteen overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will ride the range of the Lord forever.
- Revised by Rev. W.E. Jenkins
Earl Spencer Johnson, 97, passed away Saturday, October 13, 2007, in League City, Texas. He was born on March 15, 1910, to William Walter and Jane Polk Johnson in San Augustine, Texas. The Polk family seemed related to almost everyone who was anyone in deep east Texas politics, as well as to national figures like President James K. Polk.
Earl is a "second cousin, 3rd generation removed," from President James K. Polk ancestry line.
He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Sybil Vester Johnson, on April 2, 2002. He was a long time resident of League City and Webster having moved to League City in 1937 to fulfill his life long dream of being a cowboy for the J M West Ranch.
He began working for Humble Pipeline Company in 1943 to help support his growing household. He retired at age 65 with 32 years of service with Exxon Pipeline Co. After retiring, he continued to run a small herd of cattle in Webster with his sons until getting out of the cattle business at the age of 85.
A loving and generous husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, he is survived by four sons and one daughter. He was "Granddad" to eight grandchildren. Ten Great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many loving relatives and friends also survive him.
Siblings were:
Ernest Robert Johnson (1894 - 1952)*
L. Gertrude Johnson Arendt (1895 - 1982)*
William Carl Johnson (1898 - 1978)*
Dessie M Johnson (1901 - 1902)*
Lurline Cole (1903 - 1996)*
Lottie Johnson Smith (1905 - 1953)*
Burnice Johnson Swift (1907 - 1988)*
Mary Johnson Chisum (1913 - 2002)*
This is the message and tribute that Rev. Jenkins gave to
Earl Johnson.
A Place Prepared in Cowboy heaven.
John 14:1-6
Jesus said to His followers,
“I go to prepare a place for you in my father’s house;
And if I go and do this I will come back for you.”
The Fathers house, heaven, is a special place for special people.What are the kinds of people who are admitted to this place?Most of them are ordinary people with an ordinary faith in Jesus Christ. Most of them are like me and you and Earl Johnson.
A man is defined by the things that are important to him.
What are the things that are important to you?
To Earl Johnson, his word was important to him.
His word was his bond and he was honest in all his dealings.
During the depression he owned two cotton gins. Fire destroyed both of them. He had no insurance and plenty of debt. From his meager ranch earnings he spent the next fifteen years paying off the debt he owed. Honest men are funny that way.
To Earl Johnson his family was important to him.
From the time he was a little boy he always wanted to be a cowboy.
When but a child he would tote a rope and would lasso first one thing and then another,any available post or animal that was unlucky enough for him to spot.
By the time he was 12 he was “cowboy-ing” all summer on a ranch in west Texas run by his sister’s husband. Being the 8th of 9 children he had siblings somewhat older than he was. During those summers he slept on the open range and ate from a chuck wagon. Life was good.
During the depression he cowboy-ed for the State rounding up cattle for “tick dipping”. His dream job came to him in 1937 when he went to work for the J M West Ranch in League City. He was 27 years old and living his dream. He was the last living cowboy to make the last cattle drive in 1942 along F M 518 and what is now Hwy 3, moving hundreds of head of cattle from the West Ranch in Galveston through League City to Webster.
His favorite horse was Ol’ Smokey, a true cattle horse…natural born.
He could stop on a dime, turn around and give you nine cents back.
However, Earl realized he could not adequately provide for his family on cowboy wages,
so, the next year he left his dream job and went to work for Humble Pipeline. To him the
sacrifice was the right thing to do. His family was important to him. Every decision is
judged best by hindsight. All of his children graduated from college.
He had made a good decision to forgo his dream for the dreams of his children.
To Earl being reliable was important to him. A man is defined as well by how he
presents himself on the job. Earl was punctual and always gave more than a days
work for whatever daily wage he earned. It’s the cowboy way.
He retired from Exxon at the age of 65. The times had changed and the world moved
past the cowboy days. What was a cowboy to do in the age of interstate highways, supersonic jets and internet? For the next 20 years Earl stayed close to his passion and continued to run small herds of cattle in Webster until the age of 85. In his last 12 years he was able to continue enjoying the blessings of his family. His body was becoming a bit unfriendly towards him.
The home he loved on Highland Terrace was replaced by a small room at the nursing home.
Earl needed a larger place to roam and God was preparing such a place.
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you…”We have a curiosity about the place Jesus is preparing for those who love Him. From our flights of fancy we write and sing about ivory palaces and mansions over the hilltop. I hardly think that a cowboy would call it heaven if he were cooped in some big fancy mansion. What does a cowboy need of winding staircases or crystal chandeliers? He would much prefer mountain buttes and starry skies above.
So when the Boss Angel in charge of preparing places began to work on one for Earl Johnson
he went over to Cowboy Heaven with the following instructions:
Build a ranch house out in the wide open spaces with barns and corrals and a windmill.
Plant purple sage and cactus out on the open range.
Scatter some rabbits, coyotes and horny toads.
Build some ridges to ride and canyons to explore.
Lay out trails that lead to colorful sunsets and set up campsites under the stars.
Pour out some streams with fishing and swimming holes, line them with oak, sycamore
and willow.
Toss eagles and whippoorwills into the air, chase deer and antelope onto the range.
Let’s give this cowboy a proper heaven.
When all was finished the Boss Angel mounted his fine steed to inspect the place prepared for Earl Johnson in cowboy heaven.
He galloped across the range sniffing the clean air and the aroma of purple sage.
He rode the trails of the ridges and canyons listening to the call of coyote, the trill of the whippoorwill, and the music of the breeze in the sycamore trees.
He stopped beside a stream for a drink of cool, clear water and then rode back to the ranch
house with its barns, corrals and windmill.
Dismounting, he smiled approvingly at the Foreman Angel.
It’s time to call death”, he said,
“I’ll go tell Sybil he’s on his way.”
So death was called and death came riding into the room where Earl Johnson was.
It was not an unexpected arrival. Earl, ever punctual and knowing the value of time,
was ready to let go of down here.
So he reached out and took hold of the arm of death and swung into the saddle behind him.
Together they rode off to report to the Range Boss on high and inherit the place prepared
for him in Cowboy heaven.
As they galloped up to the ranch house, there was Sybil on the front porch, as lovely as ever she was when she walked out of the orphanage, took his arm and became his bride.
Over in the corral, pawing the ground, was a feisty gray horse called Smokey.
Somewhere along the way Earl was outfitted with boots and a ten gallon hat.
While the streets of heaven may be paved with gold and such all he had in his jeans pocket was a well-worn silver dollar.
Dan Seals sings a song with this chorus:
“I think God must be a cowboy at heart
He made wide open spaces from the start
He made grass and trees, and mountains
And a horse to be a friend
And trails to lead old cowboys home again.”
It was a shepherd that wrote one of the most endearing passages of the Scripture this world
will ever know.
Shepherding is what he knew…was what he was.
But, what if he had been something else?
What if his experiences in life had been different?
What if he had been a cowboy?
His psalm may have sounded something like
The Cowboy’s Psalm
The Lord is my Range Boss, He stakes my grub.
He sets up my camp beside refreshing streams,
in grassy valleys and under starry skies.
He restores my soul.
He leads me along trails of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I ride through the shadows of the canyon of death
I will fear no harm because you are with me,
Your lariat and peacemaker reassure me.
You prepare a chuck wagon before me in the presence of rustlers and outlaws,
You bandage my wounds,
My canteen overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will ride the range of the Lord forever.
- Revised by Rev. W.E. Jenkins
Earl is a "second cousin, 3rd generation removed," from President James K. Polk ancestry line.
He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Sybil Vester Johnson, on April 2, 2002. He was a long time resident of League City and Webster having moved to League City in 1937 to fulfill his life long dream of being a cowboy for the J M West Ranch.
He began working for Humble Pipeline Company in 1943 to help support his growing household. He retired at age 65 with 32 years of service with Exxon Pipeline Co. After retiring, he continued to run a small herd of cattle in Webster with his sons until getting out of the cattle business at the age of 85.
A loving and generous husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, he is survived by four sons and one daughter. He was "Granddad" to eight grandchildren. Ten Great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many loving relatives and friends also survive him.
Siblings were:
Ernest Robert Johnson (1894 - 1952)*
L. Gertrude Johnson Arendt (1895 - 1982)*
William Carl Johnson (1898 - 1978)*
Dessie M Johnson (1901 - 1902)*
Lurline Cole (1903 - 1996)*
Lottie Johnson Smith (1905 - 1953)*
Burnice Johnson Swift (1907 - 1988)*
Mary Johnson Chisum (1913 - 2002)*
This is the message and tribute that Rev. Jenkins gave to
Earl Johnson.
A Place Prepared in Cowboy heaven.
John 14:1-6
Jesus said to His followers,
“I go to prepare a place for you in my father’s house;
And if I go and do this I will come back for you.”
The Fathers house, heaven, is a special place for special people.What are the kinds of people who are admitted to this place?Most of them are ordinary people with an ordinary faith in Jesus Christ. Most of them are like me and you and Earl Johnson.
A man is defined by the things that are important to him.
What are the things that are important to you?
To Earl Johnson, his word was important to him.
His word was his bond and he was honest in all his dealings.
During the depression he owned two cotton gins. Fire destroyed both of them. He had no insurance and plenty of debt. From his meager ranch earnings he spent the next fifteen years paying off the debt he owed. Honest men are funny that way.
To Earl Johnson his family was important to him.
From the time he was a little boy he always wanted to be a cowboy.
When but a child he would tote a rope and would lasso first one thing and then another,any available post or animal that was unlucky enough for him to spot.
By the time he was 12 he was “cowboy-ing” all summer on a ranch in west Texas run by his sister’s husband. Being the 8th of 9 children he had siblings somewhat older than he was. During those summers he slept on the open range and ate from a chuck wagon. Life was good.
During the depression he cowboy-ed for the State rounding up cattle for “tick dipping”. His dream job came to him in 1937 when he went to work for the J M West Ranch in League City. He was 27 years old and living his dream. He was the last living cowboy to make the last cattle drive in 1942 along F M 518 and what is now Hwy 3, moving hundreds of head of cattle from the West Ranch in Galveston through League City to Webster.
His favorite horse was Ol’ Smokey, a true cattle horse…natural born.
He could stop on a dime, turn around and give you nine cents back.
However, Earl realized he could not adequately provide for his family on cowboy wages,
so, the next year he left his dream job and went to work for Humble Pipeline. To him the
sacrifice was the right thing to do. His family was important to him. Every decision is
judged best by hindsight. All of his children graduated from college.
He had made a good decision to forgo his dream for the dreams of his children.
To Earl being reliable was important to him. A man is defined as well by how he
presents himself on the job. Earl was punctual and always gave more than a days
work for whatever daily wage he earned. It’s the cowboy way.
He retired from Exxon at the age of 65. The times had changed and the world moved
past the cowboy days. What was a cowboy to do in the age of interstate highways, supersonic jets and internet? For the next 20 years Earl stayed close to his passion and continued to run small herds of cattle in Webster until the age of 85. In his last 12 years he was able to continue enjoying the blessings of his family. His body was becoming a bit unfriendly towards him.
The home he loved on Highland Terrace was replaced by a small room at the nursing home.
Earl needed a larger place to roam and God was preparing such a place.
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you…”We have a curiosity about the place Jesus is preparing for those who love Him. From our flights of fancy we write and sing about ivory palaces and mansions over the hilltop. I hardly think that a cowboy would call it heaven if he were cooped in some big fancy mansion. What does a cowboy need of winding staircases or crystal chandeliers? He would much prefer mountain buttes and starry skies above.
So when the Boss Angel in charge of preparing places began to work on one for Earl Johnson
he went over to Cowboy Heaven with the following instructions:
Build a ranch house out in the wide open spaces with barns and corrals and a windmill.
Plant purple sage and cactus out on the open range.
Scatter some rabbits, coyotes and horny toads.
Build some ridges to ride and canyons to explore.
Lay out trails that lead to colorful sunsets and set up campsites under the stars.
Pour out some streams with fishing and swimming holes, line them with oak, sycamore
and willow.
Toss eagles and whippoorwills into the air, chase deer and antelope onto the range.
Let’s give this cowboy a proper heaven.
When all was finished the Boss Angel mounted his fine steed to inspect the place prepared for Earl Johnson in cowboy heaven.
He galloped across the range sniffing the clean air and the aroma of purple sage.
He rode the trails of the ridges and canyons listening to the call of coyote, the trill of the whippoorwill, and the music of the breeze in the sycamore trees.
He stopped beside a stream for a drink of cool, clear water and then rode back to the ranch
house with its barns, corrals and windmill.
Dismounting, he smiled approvingly at the Foreman Angel.
It’s time to call death”, he said,
“I’ll go tell Sybil he’s on his way.”
So death was called and death came riding into the room where Earl Johnson was.
It was not an unexpected arrival. Earl, ever punctual and knowing the value of time,
was ready to let go of down here.
So he reached out and took hold of the arm of death and swung into the saddle behind him.
Together they rode off to report to the Range Boss on high and inherit the place prepared
for him in Cowboy heaven.
As they galloped up to the ranch house, there was Sybil on the front porch, as lovely as ever she was when she walked out of the orphanage, took his arm and became his bride.
Over in the corral, pawing the ground, was a feisty gray horse called Smokey.
Somewhere along the way Earl was outfitted with boots and a ten gallon hat.
While the streets of heaven may be paved with gold and such all he had in his jeans pocket was a well-worn silver dollar.
Dan Seals sings a song with this chorus:
“I think God must be a cowboy at heart
He made wide open spaces from the start
He made grass and trees, and mountains
And a horse to be a friend
And trails to lead old cowboys home again.”
It was a shepherd that wrote one of the most endearing passages of the Scripture this world
will ever know.
Shepherding is what he knew…was what he was.
But, what if he had been something else?
What if his experiences in life had been different?
What if he had been a cowboy?
His psalm may have sounded something like
The Cowboy’s Psalm
The Lord is my Range Boss, He stakes my grub.
He sets up my camp beside refreshing streams,
in grassy valleys and under starry skies.
He restores my soul.
He leads me along trails of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I ride through the shadows of the canyon of death
I will fear no harm because you are with me,
Your lariat and peacemaker reassure me.
You prepare a chuck wagon before me in the presence of rustlers and outlaws,
You bandage my wounds,
My canteen overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will ride the range of the Lord forever.
- Revised by Rev. W.E. Jenkins
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