Mona Ruth (Harris) Johnston

CORVALLIS - Mona Ruth (Harris) Johnston went to be with the Savior she loved Friday, February 3, 2017.  She was born in Jackson, Tennessee, on June 4, 1926 to James Lowell and Ruth Davidson Harris.

Mona graduated from Jackson High School and went to Union University for one year.  She met her beloved husband, Larry, when they went on a double date each with another person just before he was sent overseas to fly missions with the P47 Thunderbolt fighter. They courted by correspondence and she waited when Larry was shot down over Italy and was MIA for six months.  When he returned they were married in Jackson on July 10, 1945.  Three children were born to their union: Julie Ann Johnston of Bloomington, Indiana; Stephen Lowell Johnston (Val) of Oroville, Washington; and Jonni Boshae (Steve) of Corvallis.

Mona and Larry found their permanent home in the Bitterroot Valley where they purchased a small farm on the east side with a perfect view of the mountains.  Larry experimented with different types of livestock before settling on a Holstein dairy which they operated for forty years.

Mona was a strong, intelligent woman with a great interest in medical science. When her youngest child was in middle school she was hired at Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton as a lab technician. This brought great fulfillment to her, and literally provided subsidy to the varied financial fortunes of the dairy farm. She retired from the lab after 25 years.

Mona was active for quite a long time with Soroptomists so the family were faithful patrons of the frozen banana booth at the Ravalli County Fair.  She was an avid reader, bargain shopper and enjoyed travel when she could pry Larry from the farm.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Lawrence Johnston, and only sister Martha Frances Deaton.  She is survived by her three children, grandchildren Aimee Hamilton (Erik Hammerstrom) of Tacoma, Washington, Travis Johnston (Kristy) of Panama City Beach Florida, Casey Boshae-Williams (Jeff) of Los Angeles, and Tyler Boshae (Kassie) of the family farm in Corvallis.  She is also survived by and took great delight in three great grandchildren Jude Lawrence, Elias Steven and Asher Tyler Boshae of Corvallis.  They dubbed Mona “Gramma Great” and their hugs were the first order of business whenever they entered her home. She was cared for by her daughter and son-in-law at her home on the farm since Larry died.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.