Mada Johnson

Our mom was born on July 24th, 1913 to John B and Eugenia Fortner in Vilonia, Arkansas a very small, rural, country town. She was the first born child and grew up on a farm. Farm life was hard and the family was very poor.
Mada’s mother died of cancer when she was 13. She helped her father with the farm and a lot of responsibility fell on her to care for her little sister. During these trials the family had their faith to comfort them. Her dad played piano and led worship with music and song at their tiny rural church. Mom’s faith developed and she was baptized during her teenage years.
At twenty-three she married Benjamin Johnson and they began their life together in Little Rock, Arkansas. Living through the depression was the most difficult time in our parents’ lives. Life was hard with no jobs and scarce food. Mom told stories of eating sardines and crackers for dinner or not knowing where the next meal would come from. During this challenging time the family grew to four. My sister Wanda was born in April 1938 and I followed in December 1943.
Mom and dad were married 46 years. Our mom worked hard to help support our family. She longed to be home with us when we were little but dad wanted her to work as we needed the money. She worked in many positions including waitress, seamstress, and housekeeper. For twenty years she worked in hospitals for mentally ill patients. Despite the challenge, she had wonderful compassion for the patients while she supervised them working in the cafeteria. She retired in 1971.
My mom enjoyed sewing and crocheting. She made beautiful handmade blankets and crafts for family and friends. Gardening was probably her favorite past time and the thing she hated giving up the most. She especially enjoyed watching birds and she was very animated talking about the birds’ daily antics.
Mom often said “it could be a lot worse”. Her words to live by came from all the difficult times she lived through from a young age. This perspective gave her the strength to carry on and she lived with gratitude for everything she had. Mom often said to me “God has been good to me. I am blessed.”
We learned so much from her. She was so kind and loving and a wonderful listener. As my sister and I grew older we gained an appreciation for all she had been through and came to understand how her life experiences had shaped the beautiful person she was.
Her legacy is how very much she encouraged and loved everyone. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives and my sister and I were privileged to call her mom.


Mada Mareta Johnson
July 24, 1913 – April 18, 2015
Mada was born on July 24, 1913, to John B. and Eugenia Fortner in Vilonia, Arkansas
She was raised on a farm in Arkansas
In 1936 at age 23 she married Benjamin Johnson
Her first daughter, Wanda, was born in April 1938
Her second daughter, Jo Anne, was born in December 1943
Mada supported her family by working as a waitress, housekeeper, seamstress and food server, retiring in 1971
Mada and Ben moved to California in 1951 and settled in El Cajon and Santee


Preceded Mada in death her husband, Benjamin L. Johnson, her sister, Monell Fortner and her brother J. D. Fortner



Survived by:
Daughters, Wanda Gonzales and Jo Anne Holman
Seven grandchildren
Seventeen great-grandchildren
Six great-great-grandchildren
Sister, Estelle Waymack
One niece and three nephews



So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Corinthians 5:6-8