Connie R. Johnson

Connie R. Johnson, 82, of Walla Walla, passed away on Dec. 25, 2014, with her family by her side.

Viewing and visitation will be held on Monday, Jan. 5, 2014, from 2 p.m. until after the Rosary at the Herring Groseclose Funeral
Home, 315 W. Alder, Walla Walla. Rosary will
be Monday, Jan. 5, 2014, at 6 p.m. at the funeral chapel
and a funeral Mass will be Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015,
at 10 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church followed by
burial at Mt. View Cemetery. Memorial contributions
may be made to the VFW Ladies Auxiliary or St.
Francis Catholic Church through the funeral home.

Connie was born April 11, 1932, at St. Mary’s Hospital
to Nick and Rosie (Pratto) Longo. She grew up
and attended school in Starbuck and graduated in
1950. She was valedictorian of her class of four. She
delivered the Union-Bulletin newspapers in Starbuck
from the age of 8 to 16 and earned $40 a month for
this job. She also worked at the Starbuck grocery
store. In 1952, she moved with her parents to Walla
Walla and began work as a bookkeeper at St. Mary’s
Hospital and on Saturday’s would travel to Starbuck
to work at the grocery store until the birth of her son
in July 1954.

Connie married Don Johnson on Sept. 13, 1953, and
they were blessed with five children. In late 1953,
they started Don Johnson Plumbing & Heating from
their home on Pine Street. They later moved the business
to 13th Avenue and then purchased property on
Ninth Avenue, where they built their dream plumbing
shop complete with a showroom. All family members,
including their daughter-in-laws, worked at the
family plumbing shop where their sons learned the
plumbing trade and daughters and daughter-in-laws
worked in the office. Connie was the co-owner and
financial manager of all of their business ventures.
In 1976, they started Don Johnson Trailers and sold
horse trailers from the family home and then moved
that business to Ninth Avenue as well. They founded
a boys youth group, the Walla Walla Junior Wagon
Wheelers, where Connie worked numerous concession
stands during horse and other events, organized
and attended snow parties, trail rides, the kid’s night,
and they took the entire youth group and their families
to Disneyland one summer. Connie traveled with
her family all over the Northwest so the kids could
compete in Appaloosa horse shows and junior rodeos.
She participated in all the kids’ sporting events and
continued the rodeo tradition of attending when the
grandkids and great-grandkids competed.

Connie and Don divorced in 1982. Connie continued
to be a business and property owner until the time of
her death.

Connie volunteered at the V.F.W. and the Little Theatre
for over 30 years and was a member of St. Francis
Church and served as a Eucharistic minister.
She was a member of the local bowling association
and traveled to 20 national bowling tournaments.
She also played pinochle at the Elks Lodge and on a
weekly basis with friends. Family and friends were
the light of Connie’s life and she loved spending time
with everyone.

Connie traveled to Romania to find and bring home
grandson Dustin. Other travels included trips to New
Zealand, Australia, Greece, Mexico and Jamaica.
Connie is survived by son, Ron (Cynthia) Johnson;
daughters, Mary Jo (Gary) Duncan, Kathy (Gary)
Martin; daughter-in-law, Pam Johnson; nine grandchildren,
Dustin, Maddie, David, Diana, Katy, Danny,
Mike, Nick and Eric; five great-grandchildren. She
was preceded in death by her parents; infant daughter,
Diane Marie; son, Donnie Nicholas.