Hope Johnston

Hope Johnston, age 99, of Bryan, Ohio, passed away at 6:03 P.M. on Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers in Bryan, where she was a patient. She had resided at Hillside Country Living since November 2008. Hope Johnston was born on September 15, 1911, in Edgerton, Ohio, the daughter of Prescott and Edna (Wickline) Farnham. She married Carlton D. “Jack” Johnston on February 25, 1929, and he preceded her in death on August 8, 2005, after 78 years of marriage. In 1938, they bought a general store in Pulaski, Ohio, and several years later added a frozen food plant and locker. Working together, they created a successful business. Hope was a member of the Pulaski United Methodist Church, where she was church organist and a Sunday School teacher, and was one of the quilters in the church for many years. She was a member of the United Methodist Women, of which she served as a district officer, and was Dean of the girls’ school at Lakeside. She also spearheaded a bus trip to Henderson Settlement and Red Bird Mission in Kentucky. She also volunteered at the CWU Thrift Shop. A member of the Community Concert Association, Hope received a silver tray for selling memberships in 1983-1984. For many years she taught piano and was proud of her students and many of them went on to excel in music. Hope loved to be outside in her garden and went to the woods with her husband to cut wood. She liked to bake and make jelly, which she gave away. Surviving are two daughters, Barbara (LaVon) Eschhofen, and Mary (Don) Hovis, both of Bryan; one son, Carl (Chris) Johnston, of Mission Viejo, California; eight grandchildren, Mike Eschhofen, of Cleveland, Ohio, Dave Eschhofen, of Pensacola, Florida, Jeff Eschhofen, of Bryan, Tom Sine, of Littleton, Colorado, Tracy Sine and Christy Otten, both of Kansas City, Missouri, Todd Johnston, of Fullerton, California, and Heather Erickson, of Kailua, Hawaii; and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Martha Emanuel, Ruth Towne Orosco and Gurnee Kinnan, and one brother, Prescott Farnham, Jr. Visitation will be held on Friday, February 11, 2011, from 4:00-8:00 P.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, 860 West Mulberry Street, Bryan. Services will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2011, at 11:00 A.M. in the Pulaski United Methodist Church with Pastor Becky Ploughe officiating. Grave side services will follow at 2:30 P.M. at Maple Grove Cemetery, Edgerton. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are requested to Pulaski United Methodist Church or to a charity of the donor’s choice.