Our American Family - Person Sheet
Our American Family - Person Sheet
NameZelpho Lee JOHNSON
Birth Date11 Dec 1902
Birth PlaceEl Dorado Springs, Cedar County, Missouri
MemoColorado, Steelworks Employment Records, 1887-1979
Death Date11 Aug 1977 Age: 74
Death PlaceWashington, Oregon, Oregon
MemoOregon, U.S., Death Index, 1898-2008
Burial Date14 Aug 1977
Burial PlacePortland, Multnomah County, Oregon, Memorial Mausoleum
OccupationCF&I, New York Merchandising Company Warehouse Worker
ReligionPresbyterian
FatherJames Albert JOHNSON , 8 (1863-1948)
MotherMary Ann HURT , 9 (1871-1944)
Spouses
Birth Date31 May 1904
Birth PlaceCalifornia
Death Date2 Jun 1987 Age: 83
Death PlaceMultnomah County, Oregon
Burial PlacePortland, Multnomah County, Oregon, Memorial Mausoleum
OccupationElementary School Teacher At Arlington, CO
Family ID298
Marr Date6 Jul 1930
Marr PlaceGunnison, Gunnison County, Colorado
ChildrenGeneva Juanita (1925-1984)
Notes for Zelpho Lee JOHNSON
Zelpho & Zelpha named by a school teacher friend.200

The Oregonian, Portland, OR, Aug. 15, 1977
Entered Into Eternal Rest Thursday, Aug. 11, 1977
Zelpho Johnson
Funeral for Zelpho Lee Johnson, 5805 NE Interstate Ave., will be Monday at 11 a.m. in the Killingsworth Little Chapel of the Chimes. Private interment will follow in Portland Memorial Funeral Home.
Mr. Johnson, a retired warehouse worker, died Thursday in a local hospital. He was 74.
Survivors include his wife, Charlotte; brothers, Charles, Joplin, Mo., william and donald, both of Pueblo, Colo.; sisters, Zelpha Roser, Pueblo, and Ethel Woodworth, Las Animas, Colo.
The family suggests remembrances be contributions to Northminister Presbyterian Church.




FUNERAL MEDITATION: Zelpho Johnson 8/15/77

My dear friends, it is a privilege for me today to share with you these moments
of remembrance, appreciation and self-renewal, as we honor the life of Zelpho Johnson:
A Christian, a loving husband and family member, a devoted friend, an honest
workman, a true citizen of his community, nation and world. From his life we-all
catch a blazing torch of good living: Let us take it and hold it high in the days that
God gives us .

Let me now review with you the family setting of Zelpho's life:

Born in 1902 in Eldorado, Missouri, he had a twin s!ster Zelpha
and in 1930 married Charlotte---47 years ago.
And friends by the scores!

THE SERVICE:
Readings from the Word of God.
Two Hymns of the Church.
A sharing of some thoughts.
The prayers of our hearts.
The service of committal to God's eternal love.
. . . all a witness to the ressurection.

HYMN: "The old rugged cross."

Readings from the Old Testament:
Psalm 139---Reminds us of life's true setting (always in the
prescence of God.
Psalm 121---the Lord, our guardian.
Psalm 23----Eternally expressed. God's care. . .God's shepherding

Readings from the New Testament:
John 11-----The words of Jesus in the prescene of physical death.
II Cor. 4 & 5--the truth of life: death--a home going.
Romans 8----Paul's shout of victory in the Christian faith.
Ephesians 3—Affirmation

HYMN: " God be with you till we meet again" . till we meet at Jesus' feet.

MEDITATION: First let me share with you a personal memory of Zelpho. Zelpho was
faithful to his church, In my years Northminster, Zelpho was there!
At worship, in the session meeting, sharing in the fellowship of the
Excell. Voyagers Mariner group, sharing in different ways with
Charlotte as she taught in Church School. There, active in God's
House where his Lord called him---what a benediction on life!

I learned with joy that one of his last excursion out of his home was
to the service of public worship in his home church, a few weeks ago.
Ah, my friends, this tells us a great deal obout the character of
Zelpho--and here is a blazing torch to catch, faithfullness to God's
House.

Zelpho, after a career with the local distributing center of the
New York Merchandising Company, had a goodly number of retirement
years in which he pursued several interest!: fishing in the beauty of
Oregon and woodworking—particularly making furniture. What joy
these brought him. Isn't it a blessing when men and women have these years
of leisure to devote to special interests?

A blazing torch I personnally want to dutch from Zelpho, was his
courageous and mentally healthy acceptance of the wearing out of his
temporary home--his physical body. He was not well for some months before
his death; and Charlotte shared with me Zelpho's counsel with her as they
lived those days. He said, "I've lived a!I these years—approaching three-
quarters of a century; we have had a good life. Now there is some difficulty
but let us not let it bother us—let us live our days in calmness and take
events in stride.” My response to this was, “Charlotte, those are the words
of a true Christian.”

And did you know that in these last few months, Zelpho took up bowling!
And became .rather good at it! He was living the command: " This is the
day the Lord hath made. . . let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

When I think of Zelpho's life, this picture from Scripture comes to mind,
as in I Timothy 6:11 TEV "But you, man of God. . . strive for righteousness,
goodness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Run your best in the race
of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was this life that God called
you when you made your confession of faith before many witnesses"
Isn't that a picture of Zelpho: A godly man--a man of faith, love, endurance,
a gentle man. I shall never forget him. May I,. Oh God, be a worthy
follower in my place an time of this gentle, Christian man--thy servant
Zelpho Johnson.

PRAYER
COMMITTAL SERVICE
Research notes for Charolette (Spouse 1)
death date listed as 6/1/87 in Roser notes from Grandma Roea
Last Modified 8 Apr 2022Created 10 Feb 2024 using Reunion on a Macintosh


Created 10 Feb 2024.
© Copyright 1993-2024 by John Johnson.

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“I am bound to them though I cannot look into their eyes or hear their voices. I honor their history. I cherish their lives.
I will tell their story. I will remember them for I am the result of the very love, struggle, sacrifice and journey of thousands.”
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