MACOMB - Oma Lee Johnson, 85, Macomb (formerly of Blandinsville) passed away peacefully Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, surrounded by loved ones at OSF St. Francis Hospital in Peoria.

Oma was born May 3, 1924, in Hollis, Okla., to John and Odie (Nelson) Whorton. She attended Gould High School and graduated from the Oklahoma City School of Business. She was working at an Army recruiting office when she met her future husband.

Oma married Dean F. Johnson on Sept. 3, 1946, in Oklahoma City, Okla. They then moved to Illinois, living in Champaign, Macomb, Peoria and Blandinsville. Oma moved back to Macomb in 2003.

Oma was employed in Champaign as secretary to the Dean of Agriculture at the University of Illinois. She worked at Hemp and Company in Macomb and later worked many years at Peoria at Ag Research Inc. They then moved to Blandinsville in 1967, where they farmed for many years.

Oma was a member of Blandinsville Christian Church and a current member of First Christian Church of Macomb. She was a member of McDonough County Home Extension and a volunteer at McDonough District Hospital. She was also a volunteer election judge in Blandinsville. Oma was a talented seamstress and enjoyed creating many beautiful quilts and crocheted blankets. She enjoyed sharing her creations with friends and family as gifts from her heart. Her chocolate chip cookies were one of a kind and enjoyed by many people in the community.

Oma and Dean had four children. She is survived by three children, Carla (Steve Teslicka) Bainter of Macomb, Jim (Kelly) Johnson of Charlotte, N.C., and Donna (Dale) Mulvey of East Galesburg. She is survived by eight grandchildren, Christa (Beau) Ingledue of Macomb, Lacey (Seth) Roderick of Stafford, Va., Chelsea (Nate Miller) and Dustin Bainter of Macomb, Jerad and Mikayla McKeown of East Galesburg and Kiersten and Kaitlyn Johnson of Charlotte, N.C.; and two great-grandsons, Carter Ingledue of Macomb and Quinn Roderick of Stafford, Va. She also is survived by one sister, Doris Murl Whorton Morrow of Hollis, Okla. Oma was preceded in death by her husband, Dean Johnson; daughter Carol Allaman Alexander; her parents; one sister; and two brothers.

A memorial service to celebrate Oma's life will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at Clugston Tibbitts Funeral Home in Blandinsville. Visitation will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the YMCA of McDonough County or Blandinsville Fire and Rescue.

Condolences may be left and the guest book signed at clugston-tibbittsfh.com.
Published in The Register-Mail on 9/23/2009