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Patricia Anne (Cable) Johnson, age 85, beloved mother and grandmother, of Omer and Grandville, Michigan went to her heavenly home on Monday, January 27, 2020. She was born to the late James Cable and Beatrice (Ellison) Cable during the Great Depression, on October 19, 1934 in Fowlerville, Michigan.
Patricia (Patsy Cable) attended and graduated from Lincoln High School, Ferndale MI in 1952. She was very active in high school playing the violin in the orchestra, singing soprano in Madrigals and Choir A, and was an athlete on the girls Auqateens swim and Synchronized swim teams.
After graduation, Patricia worked in the offices at Burrows Corporation from 1952-1957. She dated and married the late George L. Johnson of Pontiac, Michigan on October 26, 1957 and together they had six children over the course of 10 years. Although the marriage ended after 33 years, Pat was a devoted wife and busy mother caring for her family and supporting and encouraging her children even in her last few weeks of life asking her children to “profess their faith in Jesus.” During the busy years of raising a large active family, Pat made sure her children were educated and were taught Christian principles through weekly Church worship services, Sunday school and Lutheran Catechism. It was important for her to share her faith with those she knew but especially her children who all know how she came to become a believer in Jesus as an adult. Pat found time to volunteer at her local church as a Sunday School teacher, sang in the Church choir and community choirs, and played her violin in the Delta College Orchestra. She was always on the run with one or more of her children taking them to music lessons, band concerts, football, basketball, baseball, cheerleading and track practices, games and track meets.
Patricia had a variety of interests and hobbies. She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed sewing special outfits for her family. She spent many summers tending her vegetable and flower gardens and canning and freezing her produce. Her children have memories of picking strawberries all day and then jumping into the family station wagon to go swimming in Lake Huron. Then she would make fabulous Strawberry Jam that would last through the year. She enjoyed many outdoor activities with her family like hunting for morel mushrooms, lady slippers and wild blueberries in the Omer woods. She owned a canoe and enjoyed many trips on the Rifle River. She even hunted for deer with her husband at times. Christmas was always a special time of year where she had a tradition of reciting and singing “The Night Before Christmas” to her children. Did I mention she was a conservative, Republican?? She would want you to know that now if you didn’t already!
After her first marriage ended and children were all grown and out of the house, she recreated herself and began nursing school in Grand Rapids at Grand Valley State University. While living in Grand Rapids, she met and married Larry King of Jackson MI at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids Michigan on April 15, 1994. Pat and Larry moved to Grandville where she switched gears and became certified as a Phlebotomist and was employed at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids MI for 10 years. She just loved her job “getting the blood” .
After Pat retired from Blodgett Hospital, she moved back to her home in Omer, Michigan but her marriage with Larry came to an end. Pat’s health began to decline and she lost her vision and ability to drive and Larry came back into her life to help her by driving and caring for her daily needs as she was diagnosed with dementia. Pat’s health declined and she moved from her home in Omer, back to Grandville, Michigan where she became a resident at Brookcrest Nursing and Rehab. Pat’s last 15 years of life were filled with many health problems but finally dementia took full hold of her ability to survive despite all the efforts and supports that were put in place.
Patricia is survived by her six children: Maria (Mark)Gillette of Grand Rapids MI; Lyle Johnson (Annette Jones) of Mason MI; Teresa (Mathew)Stephens of Fenton MO; George (Kristina) Johnson of Standish, MI; Jennifer Johnson of Mason MI; Anne Prather of Round Rock Texas; 14 grandchildren: Katie (Johnson) Mesko, Natalee Johnson, Samuel Johnson, Rachel Gillette, Jonathan Gillette, Luke Stephens, Georgie Johnson, Delainia Johnson, Arrianna Bolesky, Ethan Bolesky, Edward(Brody) Bolesky, Courtney Unger, Ashleigh Prather, Hannah Prather, great grandchildren: Owen Mesko, Nora Mesko, Addison Unger, Benjamin Unger, Paislee Bolesky; sister Sally(Cable)Hipchen of Texas and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Patricia is preceded in death by her parents, James and Beatrice Cable of Fowlerville MI; sister, Jaleane Heathfield of Grand Haven MI; sister, Margie Dahlman of Brownsville, Texas; niece, Sandy (Heathfield) Linder and Diane Dahlman; and nephew, Joe Heathfield.
Visitation will be held from 10:00-11:00 A.M. on Saturday February 1, 2020 at Bethel Lutheran Church, 3655 Wilson Ave. Grandville. Funeral service immediately following visitation, will be celebrated at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Robert A. Gerke officiating. Graveside services will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2020 at Evergreen Cemetery, Omer MI at 1:00 P.M with Pastor Kenneth Bolesky officiating.
Condolences and sympathy messages to the family or sign Patricia’s online guest book, share a favorite memory, please visit: www.MichiganCremation.com
Arrangements are entrusted to Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Grand Rapids, MI 49548
The family wishes to thank Larry King mom’s long time friend and the entire staff at Brookcrest Nursing and Rehab as well as Emmanuel Hospice Care for their loving care and support of our Mother and Grandmother.
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Our family lived with the Johnson’s for a time back in 1980 and I remember it as a vacation. My aunt Pat would cook breakfast for a small army. As a Cable I remember her not taking any lip service from us kids, Lots of fond memories and lessons learned. I’m so glad I was able to see her and Larry at the end of 2019.
God speed
We are so sorry for your loss. I loved going to Omer. Pat made us feel so welcomed. So many special memories. I’ never forget her laugh. Wish we could be there. We are with you in our prayers.😢🙏🏼
Condolences to you and your family 🙏💔. She sounded like a astonishing lady,. Someday I will meet her. Lyle and family know in your hearts she is present always!
Lyle my lifelong friend. I’m very sry for your loss. At least it’s a comfort she’s at peace.
Your friend. Ken zavorski
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I have such fond memories of Aunt Pat. I remember her laugh, her sweet smile, her kindness, and the way her bright eyes lit up with love from within. I recall her love of God and family, her passion for beautiful music. I have an image imprinted in my mind of a cold night on one of my rare trips to Michigan sitting in front of the furnace in my mom’s basement when she taught me where to apply pressure to my hand to ease my migraine.
As a child I recall my family coming down from Alaska to visit her, Uncle George, and our cousins the summer they lived in that big house with a wraparound veranda and what seemed like mile high acres of corn. We caught fireflies in jars with holes punch in the lids and ran thru the rows of corn at night, chasing each other and scaring ourselves silly. Then we watched the incandescent lights of tiny firefly tails blink on and off in contagion while we ate homemade ice cream on the veranda. I remember when she came to my wedding in Texas in 2003 and how happy she and Larry looked.
We lived so far apart, but every time our families visited or met up somewhere for a family reunion she deposited permanent, and cumulative rays of sunshine in my heart. Today as the kind florist from Stems Market took my request for flowers in her favorite color (pink), I felt the breath crushed from my lungs in a big gulping sob as I tried to say Aunt Pat’s name and convey a meaningful sentiment, but choked by tears, I landed awkwardly on “with love from the Hipchen family”.
Now, in the quiet night, long after the day’s activities have passed, my heart can speak through my fingers and offer heartfelt gratitude for the precious moments I spent in the company of my Aunt Pat, a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt. She was kind, she was smart, she was important! Please accept my deepest sympathies and sorrows for your loss.