Florence Marie (Miner) Johnson, 88

| June 27, 2021 1:00 AM

Florence “Flo” Johnson passed away on June 24, 2021, following a stay at the Schneidmiller Hospice House in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Flo was born March 15, 1933, the third of six children of Harley and Margaret Jean Miner, and apparently the first non-Native child born in Headquarters, Idaho, where Harley was a mechanic for Potlatch logging operations. Harley and Jean later moved the family to Spokane as the kids neared school age.

As teens, Flo and her sisters worked at Kress Five and Dime at the soda fountain. The manager always liked the Miner girls as they were hard workers. Flo attended Mary Cliff High School, graduating in 1951. She also attended the Kinman School of Business in Spokane.

Flo was lively and spirited, often wanting to “color outside the lines,” with a healthy disrespect for authority. The rules were for other people -- not for her. She was always raring for a fight if she felt that she or someone else was being taken advantage of. She would tell stories of her and her sister sneaking out past curfew to meet friends or smoke up on the roof of the house.

Flo met Don Johnson in the summer of 1950 at a lakeside dance at Diamond Lake, Wash. She and her sister, Eleanor, targeted a couple guys to buy their tickets into the dance, intending to ditch them once inside. Because it was a dark and stormy night, there were no others attending the dance, and Flo was 'stuck' with Don for the evening. It turns out she was 'stuck with him' much longer, as they dated on and off for more than five years, while Don was an officer in the U.S. Navy. They married on Oct. 29, 1955, and began married life in Coronado, Calif.

Flo and Don moved to Moscow in 1956, and welcomed children Monica (1957) and Mike (1958) to the family. Don's teaching career took the family to Colorado (where Brian joined the family in 1961), New Mexico, Utah, and North Dakota, before returning to Moscow. Flo was a loving wife and mother, taking care of the youngsters and keeping a tidy home. She loved her homes ... all 21 of them! She worked as a secretary at the University of Idaho for 20 years, serving in the English, Math, and Psychology Departments.

Their homes on Coeur d'Alene Lake served as a special retreat away from Moscow, and Flo hosted countless family gatherings and friends over the years. Her freezers were always jam packed so she could put on a dinner for any number of family and friends with only a few hours’ notice. She was always happiest at the lake.

She and Don retired in Coeur d'Alene, where they wore out many pairs of dancing shoes at the local tea dances. They enjoyed periodic travel, usually to visit family and friends. Flo was a legendary shopper. She would visit five stores in order to find the best deal, with Don patiently waiting for her in the car. Flo also enjoyed frequent games of Bridge with her girlfriends.

Among Flo's greatest treasures were her nine grandchildren, whom she doted upon and wished to spoil. Flo and Don loved their three little poodle maltese dogs which brought them great joy. Flo was known by many over the decades as the unrivaled master of chocolate chip cookie making.

Flo and Don were just a couple weeks shy of their 65th anniversary when Don passed away in October

Don was cremated, with his ashes to be placed within her coffin for their joint burial at the Newport Cemetery. True to form, Flo has kept Don waiting; thankfully at last, they are together again.

A celebration of life for both Flo and Don is planned for August. A Funeral Mass for Flo and Don will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 625 E. Haycraft Ave., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83815. A short memorial tribute for Flo is found at https://vimeo.com/564899390.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Kootenai Humane Society, 11650 N. Ramsey Road, Hayden, Idaho 83835.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Yates Funeral Home. Please visit Flo’s online guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com