Doyle Dwayne Johns

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Doyle Dwayne Johns, 89, of Nevada, died in the early morning hours on Saturday, April 30, at Moore-Few Care Center. Doyle was born Aug. 8, 1921, in Eakly, Okla., to Charlie Pinkney and Flora Elexandra (Mullins) Johns. Doyle has one surviving sister, Irene Montgomery, Carnegie, Okla., and was preceded in death by a sister, Ethel Marie Johns, who died in infancy. Doyle was also preceded in death by his wife, Sylvia Leona (Hileman) Johns, on March 22, 1995, and his son, Ronald D. Johns on Oct. 6, 2008.

After graduating in 1939 from Sickles High School, Sickles, Okla., Doyle joined the United States Navy as an Aviation Machinist Mate and was stationed in Norfolk, Va., and Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill. Doyle was honorably discharged from the Navy on Nov. 13, 1945. Doyle married Sylvia L. Hileman on Jan. 29, 1944, in Clinton, Okla. Doyle and Sylvia had two children, Ronald Johns and Donna (Johns) Thomas of Nevada.

Doyle and his family moved to Englewood, Calif., where he worked at the North American Aviation Plant as a molder. Doyle also worked for Northrup Airlines as a flying wing riveter. The family moved back to Oklahoma in 1948 to resume farming and Doyle was co-owner of a general store/gas station in Carnegie with his brother-in-law, Vernie Hileman. Doyle and his family moved to Nevada in February 1951 to relocate his farming operation. To supplement his farming income, Doyle worked at the Haggan's Hatchery on East Cherry Street and also at the U-Save Oil Company. He also had a Grade B Electric Dairy operation to which he sold milk and cream to Kraft Foods' Milk Plant from 1954 to 1963, producing seven 10-gallon cans a day.

In addition to farming, Doyle began driving a school bus in 1954 for the Nevada Schools and continued this until 1964. Doyle started working for the United States Postal Service in 1967 as a rural mail carrier and retired from there in 1983.

Doyle was a successful farmer, known by many for his beef cattle, hay forage crops, and land conservation practices. In the mid 1970's, he was recognized by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service for his leading edge conservation practices such as having more than 6 miles of terraces and waterways. He was a delegate for MFA Oil Company and alternate county committeeman for the ASCS Program. He enjoyed his many years as a volunteer with the Meals on Wheels effort through Nevada Regional Medical Center.

Upon retiring, Doyle became an avid golfer; the highlight of his golfing career was getting a hole-in-one at the Frank E. Peters Golf Course. He also enjoyed playing in senior softball leagues while spending winters in Florida and with the First Baptist Church in Nevada. Doyle was a regular fan of Missouri Southern Softball and Nevada Tiger sports, especially football and basketball, and all other activities in which his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were active.

Doyle married Norma Markham May 9, 1996, who survives of the home. Additional survivors include one daughter, Donna C. Thomas and her husband, Charles W. Thomas; daughters-in-law, Daisy (Gaston) Johns of New York City, N.Y., and Clara (Bailey) Johns of Joplin; grandchildren, Troy and wife, Gale Thomas, of Milo, Kimberly and husband, Christopher Severance, of Brattleboro, Vt., Kristin Thomas of Pittsburg, Kan., Dana (Johns) White of Diamond, and Christopher and wife, Shae Johns, of Medford, Ore; great-grandchildren, James Thomas of Monett, Tristie Thomas of Springfield, Kyla Thomas of Pierce City, Charles Thomas of Milo, Curtis Jameson of Milo, Arden and Hadli White of Diamond, Taylor and Riley Severance of Brattleboro, Vt., and Karastin Johns of Medford, Ore.; step-children Butch and Toni Markham of Carl Junction and Marsha Markham of Seneca; step-grandchildren, Rob Wright, Whitney Roark, Tenille Lundien and Tyson and Logan Markham; and numerous step-great-grandchildren also survive. Also surviving are three sisters-in-law, Dorothy Johnson and Hazel Hileman of Oklahoma, and Tiny Rice of Nevada.

Doyle was a devoted father and grandfather who rarely met a stranger and will be sorely missed by many including fellow members of the First Baptist Church of Nevada. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada, with the Rev. Hubert Fox officiating. Interment will follow at Marvin Chapel Cemetery east of Nevada. Friends may call from now until the hour of service at Ferry Funeral Home, and the family received visitors at the funeral home Monday, May 2, between 7 and 8 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Marvin Chapel Cemetery in care of Ferry Funeral Home, 301 S. Washington, Nevada.