“By the will of God, we walk through this world; and by His grace we are called home.” Helen Marie Johnson Venter, of Rogersville, was called home to be wth the Lord after a long illness on March 14, 2014.
Helen was a loving devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Helen loved the Lord and her church, and accepted the Lord as her Savior at an early age. Helen was a member of Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo.. She was involved in Women’s Ministry and Missions. Helen loved reading mystery novels. She especially loved to travel and attend Lady Bear basketball games with her husband Ernie. She also loved taking walks with her grandsons and sipping on root beer floats.
Helen was born in Willow Springs, Mo. on April 20, 1941 to Virgil and Elsie Johnson.
She graduated from Willow Springs High School in 1960 and Burge School of Nursing in 1963. Helen received her B.S. in Nursing from Drury College in 1977. Helen worked for Dr. David Holmes most of her career until she retired in 1993 when she married Ernest Venter. They lived happily for 20 years in Rogersville, Mo.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Virgil and Elsie Johnson, and two sisters Hester Good-ing and Wilma Pace. She is survived by her husband of 20 yrs. Ernest Venter, Rogersville, Mo., two sisters, Norma Jean Ash, Republic, Mo., and Velma Clinton, Caldwell, Idaho; two brothers, Lester Johnson and wife, Betty, Cassville, Mo., and Claude Johnson and wife, Wanda, Pomona, Mo.; a daughter, Jill Graham and husband, Jeff, Dora, AL., two sons, Joey Woodring, Dora, AL., Dr. Jay Woodring and wife, Tracie, Strafford, Mo.; grandsons Christian and Brennan Graham, Dora, AL., Andrew and Austin Woodring, Strafford, Mo., Andrew Leingang, Rogersville, Mo., granddaughter, Kelsey Leingang, Rogersville, Mo., and a host of nieces, nephews and special friends.
She will be missed by all that knew and loved her.
Memorial services will be held at Greenlawn Funeral Home East in Springfield, Mo.
The family would like to give special thanks for every act of kindness and love shown to them during Helen’s long illness. A very special thanks to Helen’s nurse Donna Turner and special caregiver Heather Schrock, who made Helen’s last few days so peaceful.