Helen Johnson

Helen Johnson, age 87, of Elburn, IL, passed away, surrounded by the love and prayers of her family on Sunday, March 6, 2016.

She was born May 18, 1928, on the family farm in Blackberry Township, the daughter of Newton and Helen (Davis) Gould.

Helen lost her mother a short few months after her birth, but her father continued to love and raise their growing family of five.

She initially attended a one-room schoolhouse until she reached high school age. She graduated from Elburn High School with the class of 1946.

Following graduation, Helen worked for the Kane County Bank & Trust for several years. Helen also worked for the Women of the Moose for over 18 years. In her later years, Helen gave untold hours alongside Fred Dornback, locating and organizing Blackberry Township Cemetery records that went back hundreds of years. Her dogged determination brought honor to many families and soldiers whose records were thought to be lost to history. Season after season, Helen also stood by her family and helped to continue the heritage that is Gould’s Cider, bringing the tastiest cider to those near and far.

During this time, Helen had a penchant for men in uniform, more specifically, “a man” in uniform, namely Harold “Moon” Johnson. They were united in marriage on what could have been the hottest day of the year, July2, 1949 on the Gould family farm. They made their home in Elburn for a number of years until the late 1960’s when they moved to their home on Green Rd. Helen continued to make her home there after Moon’s passing in 1997.

Helen was a proud member of the Elburn American Legion Women’s Auxiliary and past member of the Elburn Quivera Club. She additionally volunteered her time to numerous endeavors that spanned the countryside.

Helen was a truly remarkable woman who became the keeper of memories and reigned supreme over her family ancestry. She loved to play dominoes at the township building with friends and neighbors and could be seen frequently at local casinos, in addition to trips with the Lion’s Club. Summer months brought annual trips to Minnesota and winters sent her to Florida before coming home for Christmas. Helen never met a stranger and her friendships were lasting, strong and true.

She is survived by her two sons: David (Pam) Johnson and Alan Johnson; four grandchildren: Jeremy Johnson, Chris Johnson, Lydia Craver and Ashley Craver; three great-grandchildren: Ethan, Morgan and Cameron Johnson; many nieces and nephews and a community of friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Newton and Helen Gould; her husband Harold “Moon” Johnson; four siblings: Webb, Norris and Charles Gould and Mary Mitchell and one son, Robert, in infancy.

Visitation will be Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL, from 5-7 p.m. A memorial service will follow visitation with private family interment to follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established to benefit the Elburn American Legion Women’s Auxiliary. Please make checks out to Elburn American Legion Women’s Auxiliary, and mail to P. O. Box 66, Elburn, IL, 60119. Tributes may be sent to the same address, on the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page or on the web at www.conleycare.com where you can find her full life story.
The family requests that NO ROSES be present for the services because…well because Helen said so.