Virginia Cora Johnson

Virginia Cora Johnson of Cuba, formerly of Rolla and California was born October 14, 1915 to the union of George Francis and Ada May Potts. She was born by midwife on her family's farm house outside Spencerville, Oklahoma. Her father was a sharecropper and blacksmith. Virginia helped out around the house with canning, gardening, and other farm labors. She was the oldest of five children, She had three sisters; Anna Louise, Mamie Lucile and Lou. She had one brother, George Francis II. Virginia's father called her "Vergo" as a child because she says he wanted a boy, and then he finally got one 16 years later. Virginia went to high school in Fort Towson, OK, and then went to Commercial College in Fort Smith, AR for business education. While in college, she worked in a family's house helping with household chores to pay for her room and board. Her first marriage was to Oliver O. Southard. They met at church in Apple, OK and married in Hugo, OK on April 6, 1937. He went to California to work on Shasta Dam in order to send back money to Virginia. She ended up moving to California because of the Great Depression and dust bowl. Before moving, they sold their sawmill in Oklahoma. Virginia managed Southard's Grocery for 16 years in El Sobrante, CA while Oliver was a pipe fitter at Keiser Shipyard in Richmond, CA. Virginia also worked at Keiser for a short time in the payroll department. Oliver drowned in Clear Lake, CA when Virginia was 29. Virginia and Oliver had one son together; Don J. Southard. She raised him by herself after he was 7. Don joined the Air Force and later became a building contractor. He built aircraft hangars and barns. He then owned the Rendezvous, a night club in Hugo, OK and bought back the family ranch outside of Hugo. Virginia also has 2 grandchildren; Bradley Jay Southard lives in St. James and drives for Walmart and Kim Suzanne Harmon lives in Alaska and ran a bed and breakfast. Virginia also has 3 great grandchildren. After Oliver passed away, Virginia moved to Bakersfield, CA to work as a bank teller for Bank of America. She really enjoyed this job because she liked to dress nicely and enjoyed meeting and talking to nice people. Fifteen years after Oliver died she met Perry F. Johnson, or as she called him, "Mr. Wonderful". Mutual friends allowed them to meet and he asked her to have coffee with him, "and that was that". They were married in Las Vegas on June 26, 1959 and were married for 45 years. He was a financial planner while she continued to make customers smile at the bank. After they retired, Perry picked up his old Air Force hobby of music. He became the leader of a band which played for the Great London Circus, a traveling circus out of California as well as for the Carson Barnes Circus out of Hugo, Ok. He played the saxophone and clarinet. Virginia also worked for the circus selling tickets, novelties and reserving box seats as a cashier. They traveled through all 48 states in the 6 years with the circuses. It was a dream of Virginia to play music, so she learned to play the piano at 72 years of age. She volunteered at the Crown Jewel Veterans Home in California playing in the band, dancing with veterans and putting on the talent shows. She had to memorize music when her eyes started to fail her and she could no longer read music. She memorized 35 different songs. Mottos she lived by: "I pray for pleasant and beautiful thoughts" and "He took care of the birds and the bees and I know he's watching me." Advice she would like to pass along to others: "You can't do anything on your own the way you want. You have to trust in the Lord to do it for you." Virginia went home to be with the Lord on Monday, January 14, 2013 at Cuba Manor at the age of 97. A memorial will be held in California at a later date. The Mizell Funeral Home of Cuba is honored to be serving Virginia's family.