Jeanne A. Johnson

Jeanne Ann (Davidson) Johnson, 67 of Chappell died Friday afternoon, October 10, 2014 at her home in Chappell.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Tuesday, October 14, 2014 in the Berea Lutheran Church northeast of Chappell with Brenda Tophoj, P.M.A. officiating. Burial will follow in the Berea Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Monday at the Holechek Funeral Home in Chappell.

Memorials have been established to the Sidney Regional Medical Center Home Health and Hospice, the Dorwart Cancer Treatment Center or the donor’s choice.

She was born in Gothenburg, Nebraska on May 20, 1947. Four days after her birth she was placed in St. Thomas’s Orphanage in Lincoln, Nebraska. On December 1, 1947 at the age of 6 ½ months she was adopted by Harry and Eleanor (Kalb) Davidson of Oshkosh, Nebraska. Welcoming her home with her parents was her sister Elaine. Jeanne attended school in Oshkosh, graduating from Garden County High School in 1965. Upon graduation she attended St. Anthony Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital Schools of Radiology in Denver, Colorado. Following school in Denver, she married Eugene Pottorff; two sons were born to this union: Duane born in Denver, CO and James born in Ogden, UT. Jeanne later divorced. She then married Robert Smith at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota and a son Bobby was born while they were stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. In July of 1976 Jeanne moved with her boys to Oshkosh and worked at the Oshkosh Medical Clinic. In August 1978 they moved to Rapid City, SD taking a job as an optical tech at Began Park Optical Office. In June of 1979 Jeanne and her boys moved to Chappell.

On October 11, 1979 Jeanne married Arnie Johnson and added a daughter Deann and a son Tim to her family. Jeanne and Arnie, with their wonderful family have made their home in Chappell for the past 35+ years.

Jeanne worked for the Chappell Public Schools from August 1984 until May 2001 and was the Administrator of the Miller Memorial Care Center from December 2000 until April 2008. She was appointed to the Nebraska Health Care Assisted Living Board of Administrators and served as the President of the Western District for 6 years, striving to make life better for our elderly and others that have to live their lives in nursing facilities. Jeanne had a passion for caring for others and defending their rights. In April of 2008, she took the job of Social Services Director at the Golden Living Nursing facility in Sidney retiring from there in July of 2009. In November of 2010 she found the perfect job at the Chappell Dental Clinic, this career was cut short when she was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2010. She then had to retire again in March of 2012.

She truly loved her family and was so proud of all of their accomplishments. Her children and grandchildren were her life. She enjoyed attending all of their activities and being a part of everything that they did.

Jeanne is survived by her husband Arnie; her sons: Duane and wife Bilinda of Moore Haven, FL, Bobby and wife Angie of Rancho Cordova, CA and Tim and wife Kim of Chappell, NE; her daughter Deann and husband Tim Speirs of Chappell, NE; ten grandchildren: Trevor and Lexi Pottorff of Grand Island, NE, Levi and Skylar Pottorff of Chappell, NE, Alyson Barnhill and Ethan Pottorff of Moore Haven, FL, Abbie Smith of Omaha, NE, and Maddy Johnson and Chance and Anna Speirs all of Chappell, NE. She is also survived by numerous family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Elaine.

Holechek Funeral Home and Cremations in Chappell is serving the Johnson family.