Karen True

Karen True Johnson

From the May 25th 2014 50th Class Reunion Booklet

Spouse: David

Children: None

I taught high school business classes for 21 years, and then went to work for the local utility company doing cash management in the treasury department. After our merger with another utility, I switched to public relations. Dave worked for AT&T for 30 years.

After retiring in 1999, we sold our horses and home in the country, gave the dog and cat to friends, and took off in an RV for a 14 month tour of the US and Canada. We settled in Missouri at the Lake of the Ozarks, which is becoming quite a retirement area. Now we are turning our travel bug overseas, with our most recent trips taking us to Ireland/Scotland and the Panama Canal.

When we're home, I fill my days with volunteering and gardening. Two days a week I price household goods at our local animal shelter thrift shop. I trained dogs at the shelter until two years ago when a medical problem forced me to take a temporary time out. I was a founding member of our local garden club, which built and maintains a public garden at the Camdenton library. With a lot of help from club members, I propagate and grow most of the 1500 plants for our annual plant sale. I've also surrounded our house with flowers and vegetables.

1. Name and city/state where you live -

Karen True Johnson, 702 Grandview Lane, Linn Creek, MO 65052

2. Spouse's name and where he/she was born -

Dave Johnson, Moline, IL

3. How/where did you meet your spouse -

Blind date. My roommate and I were both teachers in Davenport, IA, and her new boyfriend was a childhood friend of Dave. They married. We married, and we both celebrate 40 years of marriage this year.

4. Your occupation before retirement -

I taught high school business classes at Central High in Davenport for 21 years, and then worked for Iowa-Illinois Gas & Electric (now MidAmerican Energy) for seven years in cash management and then corporate communications after the merger.

5. Did you attend college or special schooling -

Graduate of Univ. of Nebraska, class of '68

6. Your spouse's occupation before retirement -

Worked for Ameritech (now part of AT&T) in installation.

7. Favorite place (city/state) where you have lived and why -

Wherever my bed is, I'm happy. We had a 10-acre mini-farm in Illinois and four acres of woods and rocks here in Missouri. We traveled all over the US and Canada for 14 months full-timing in an RV. As long as I'm in a rural area, I'm contented.

8. How many children, if any

None

9. Grandchildren?

None

10. Special hobbies -

Had horses for 30 years, but sold them when we started full-timing in the RV. Now I garden extensively and am active in a local garden club. Two days a week I volunteer at a thrift shop that supports our animal shelter and train dogs at the shelter one afternoon a week. We still travel frequently but have sold the RV.

11. Any other details you care to share -

Life has been good to us. My small-town roots have always grounded me no matter what life throws my way.

Information taken from the May 1989 25th Decatur Alumni Booklet

Husband: Dave

Karen teaches high school business subjects. Dave works for the telephone Company. They live in the country and go on trail rides with friends. Her hobbies are horses and gardening.