Ruby Olive “Snookie” (Hefner) Johnson, daughter of the late Marshall Fredrick and Ruby Olive (Krause) Hefner, was born July 18, 1926, in Dodge City, Kansas, and departed this life August 31, 2023, in Hermitage, Missouri. She was 97 years, 1 month, and 13 days of age.
She was the youngest of ten children, and her dad affectionately nicknamed all of the children. Ruby was given the nickname “Snookie”, after “Baby Snooks” from the Sunday paper cartoons. During the depression, Ruby, along with her mother and the younger children, moved to the farm at Hartville, Missouri. After eighth grade, her family moved back to Dodge City, Kansas, where she graduated from high school and met her husband to be, Travis P. Johnson, Jr. They were united in marriage on March 31, 1945, in Dodge City, Kansas. The young couple moved to Idaho, and then to Denton, Texas, where they were blessed with their son, Johnnie Lee Johnson.
Next, they moved to Monmouth, Illinois, and then to Des Moines, Iowa, where she went to work for Iowa Lutheran Hospital as the credit manager in the business office. She worked for the hospital for approximately 15 years until her retirement in 1979. After retirement, she moved to Branson, Missouri, and worked for Andy Williams at the Moon River Theatre for 20 years. After her husband, Travis, passed away in 2007, Ruby stayed in Branson until 2014 when she moved to Urbana, Missouri, to be close to her son, John. While living there, she attended church at the Church of Christ in Buffalo, Missouri.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Travis P. Johnson, four brothers, Jesse, Oscar, Otto, and Lane, two sisters, Audrey and Edith, and three infant brothers.
Ruby is survived by her son, Johnnie Lee Johnson and his wife, Patty, three grandsons, Travis, Johnnie Lee Jr., and Jesse, along with their families, ten great-grandchildren, Jesse Andrew, Bradley, Katrina, Toby, Christopher, Riley, Kirby, Xander, Tanner, and Chase, two great-great-grandchildren, Chandler and Paisley, and many other extended family and friends who will miss her.
