Mary (Axsom) Beck Johnson

Grundy County, Missouri And Its People Vol. 2

Mary Jean (Axsom) Johnson, daughter of Alfred Elmer Axsom and MAry "Pauline" (Shafer)
Axsom, was born May 29 1940 on a farm north of Cainsville, Missouri. She began school at the one-room Moore School on Pea Ridge in 1946. In 1951 the family moved to the former Ben Gallup farm off Route A north of Trenton. Mary then attended Central Elementary/Junior High (grades six, seven, and nine) and attended eighth grade in Tindall, then graduated from Trenton High School in 1958. Her favorite teacher was Mrs. Russell.
The family attended Tindall Baptist Church, her parents installing a life-long moral compass in their children. She and her sister enjoyed youth rallies as teenagers. Mary loved art, singing, baking, 4-H Club and winning ribbons at fairs. After graduating, MAry went to Kansas City and began working at Hallmark Cards. That first winter she often was homesick and went home (usually by train) every weekend, if not working overtime.
Mary married Alvin Warren Beck, her soul mate, in Newkirk, Oklahoma, on November 30 1960. He died November 12 1973. She married Lewis "Fred" Johnson on May 25 1976. They were divorced June 1986.
Before retirement, Mary worked in retail sales at Emery-Bird-Thayer Department Store in downtown Kansas City and Dillards in Independence and then in geriatric nursing. Now living in Independence, she enjoys church (River Boulevard Baptist), Victorian tea parties, growing flowers, hiking, creative writing and sharing a love of genealogy with a niece Debbie (Axsom) Dailey of Mercer.
The old farmhouse burned away many years ago after sitting vacant for several years. Most of Mary's memories of times spent there are happy, except when Grandpa Johnnie Axsom died and Grandam Daisy (Boyd) Axsom wanted a wake with Grandpa lying in state in the living room.
Mary's siblings are Freeda Darlene (Axsom) Haggard of Redding, California, born December 30 1941; Bernard Charles of Spickard, born June 17 1944; and Roger Dale (March 30 1952-January 12 1987), buried in Oakhill Cemetery beside his parents.
submitted by Mary (Axsom) Beck Johnson.