Fayetta Floraine Johnson

Fayetta Johnson passed away June 15, 2025, at Victorian Adult Family Home in Spokane Valley, Washington at the age of 96.  She was born to Fay Edwin Tisher and Florence (Bundrock) Tisher in Lansing, Michigan on April 6, 1929.

Shortly after birth, her parents moved to Britton, South Dakota, where her grandparents, William and Sara Bundrock owned a farm.  At the age of 6, her family moved to Kalispell, Montana and then in 1939 purchased a ranch in the mountains near a small town named Warland.  She attended grade school there and finished high school at Libby, Montana, graduating in 1947.

As a student at Eastern Washington University, she met a young Navy Lieutenant named Daren Johnson, and on February 7, 1951, they were married at Sandpoint, Idaho.   She completed her education at the University of Idaho in 1955 by obtaining a degree in English. 

In 1959, with 4 children in tow, she and Daren moved to Olympia, Washington where they continued to raise their family.  To supplement the family income, Fayetta would substitute teach at local schools.  It was during this time that they began a life of service by opening their home to young people who needed help. 

In 1968, they moved to an 80-acre farm/ranch near Rochester, Washington, and continued to raise children.  The house on the property was built in 1913 and had not been updated.  Regardless, it was a perfect place to raise kids, and it was not uncommon for there to be 12 - 15 people seated around the dinner table.  These young people were treated as her own and she loved every one of them.  Many of those who were raised there regard those days as the best of their life. 

Fayetta was an active and faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She was a natural born teacher and took great pride in the fact that she taught early morning seminary to young people for 19 years.  There are many who say their testimony of Christ was directly influenced by the instruction received in her class.  In 1983 and 1984, she and Daren served a mission in Missouri.

She was also an avid genealogist and spent 60 years accumulating information and documenting family history.    

In 2004, she and Daren moved to the Spokane area.  In 2011, she suffered the first of two strokes.  This severely limited her physical abilities.  Nevertheless, she continued her love of life and thoroughly enjoyed hearing from family and friends.

Fayetta was preceded in death by her parents, Fay and Florence (Bundrock) Tisher, sister, Fern Fuller Dermond, and husband, Daren, who passed away in February 2022. 

She is survived by her 4 children: Roger and Joanne Johnson of Vancouver, WA, Cindy Johnson of Adairsville, Georgia, Jennifer and Craig Johnson of Medical Lake, WA, and Jerry and Denise Johnson of Colbert, WA, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She will be interred at the Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington.