Service held for Denver Johnson

Denver Leroy Johnson went to his eternal home on Saturday, April 20, 2019.  He was born on February 4, 1933 in Burr Valley, Oklahoma, to Sally (Anderson) and Harley Johnson.

He married Norma Whalen of Lehigh, Oklahoma, on December 29, 1956.  

Upon graduating from Tupelo High School in 1951, Denver attended telegraphy school to work for the Frisco Railroad.  He began work shortly thereafter for the railroad company and worked all over the state of Oklahoma until he was drafted into the United States Army, serving in the Korean War.  After his military service, Denver began college at East Central University in

Ada.  He received his bachelors of science in education and masters in school administration.  In 1958 he began teaching at Olney, Oklahoma.  Moving from Olney to Tupelo where he taught high school and coached.  After Tupelo, he was offered the principal’s/ coaching position at Sasakwa high school.  Denver finished his education career at Pleasant Grove High School in 1986 after teaching for 30 years.

 He later worked for the Seminole County Assessor’s office where he worked for 10 more years before retiring permanently.  

Survivors include daughter, Glenda and husband Dr. Gerald Davis of Duncan; son, Mark and wife Kelley Johnson of Seminole and daughter, Donna and husband Darren Frederick of Seminole.  Other survivors include: brothers, Floyd and wife Betty Johnson of Holdenville and Donny Johnson of Allen; sister, Betty Rauniker of Ada; grandchildren, Dr. Gerrad Davis and wife Abby of Duncan, Geoffrey Davis, Wetumka, Gregory Davis, Oklahoma City, Ryan Kenyon and wife Casey of Prague, Kyler Phillips and husband Chase of Tulsa, Gage Johnson and wife Karis of Tulsa, Colin Frederick and Chloe Frederick of Seminole; great-grandchildren, Hayden, Finley and Brisco Davis, Alex Wilson, Sydney Sears, Emma, Tommy and Waylon Kenyon and Evelyn and London Johnson; honorary granddaughter, Brett Gowdy-Auld, also his Carl’s Junior breakfast buddies.

Denver is preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, brothers, Ernest, Esdel, and Bill Johnson and sisters, Helen Jennings, Maxine Linker, and Wanda Skaggs.  

Pallbearers were his grandsons and honorary pallbearers were the Carl’s Junior Breakfast Club.

Funeral services were held at First Baptist Church at 420 Reid Street in Seminole, Oklahoma, on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 2:00 P.M.  A family visitation was on Thursday evening from 6-8 P.M., at Swearingen Funeral Home.  Burial followed with Military Honors at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens, east of Seminole.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, Oklahoma.