Wanda Brown Johns
It was a beautiful spring day in Thatcher Arizona, May 23, 1909, when a delightful baby girl was born to Bertha Teresa Reynolds and Stephen Alonzo Brown. They named her Wanda; it didn’t take her long to capture her father’s heart because of her cheerful personality, a wonder for God’s creations, a soul full of music and a heart of kindness and love. She was the fifth child born to the family, the fourth one living; Delbert had died when only a year old. She had an older living brother Floyd and two older sisters, Rita and Isabel.
When Wanda was five months old, there was an epidemic of diphtheria and scarlet fever. The Brown family was afflicted and both Rita and Isabel died within a month of each other. When Wanda got sick, Teresa said, “It looks like we’re going to lose every one of them.” So they packed up their wagons and started the move back to Luna where Stephen Alonzo had a farm and two ranches. The first day they got as far as Virden, where he purchased a farm with gold pieces he carried in his chuck box. He rented the farm out to Rob Johns, stayed the night, and continued the trip to Luna.
When Wanda was almost four years old, her father was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Pratt was a month old. Wanda remembered waving goodbye to him as he walked down to the Luna Store and caught a ride with the mailman to St. Johns. After he returned from his mission they had 2 more children, Chet and Gertrude. Stephen returned to the freighting business he had started before his mission.
Wanda started school when she was six, completing the 1st through 8th grades in Luna. They walked to school when it was warm but during the snowy winter months her father took them to school with a horse and sleigh. Wanda liked to play games. Her favorite games were steal the sticks, dodge ball, hide and seek, hop scotch, and jacks and ball.
The Brown family lived in Luna until Wanda was fifteen. It was here that Fern, Pratt, Chet, and Gertrude were born. Every summer they would pack up and move up to a log cabin on the ranch. Nearly every morning one of the kids’ socks or something would be missing. There was a big ole pack rat that would carry things off and hide them. Stephen told them not to worry because they would find the missing articles when they packed up to return to Luna and sure enough they did.
Her father played the piano, organ, and fiddle. He taught Fern and Wanda to chord and to play the piano and organ. Wanda liked to play by ear. Music was easy for her and she loved to play, sing, and entertain others. She collected songs. When she was in the 8th grade, Brother Edgar Burk asked her and Manuel Gonzales, who played the guitar, if they would like to start a band. Brother Burk played the fiddle. Wanda was so excited! They played at dances for weekend entertainment for everyone, young and old. Fern was good with chords also but she did not like trading off with Wanda because she preferred to dance all the time. Wanda also loved to dance and would manage to talk Fern into playing a couple of songs. Wanda also learned to play the French harp. If the weather was bad, the children had to stay in the gym or building at recess. Wanda would play her French harp and the other students would dance. She didn’t get to play in the band very long because her dad decided it was time to move back to Virden so the children could get a better education. Luna didn’t have a high school and he didn’t want his children to go to school in Reserve.
Wanda’s cousin had given her a horse that she dearly loved. She lovingly called him “Little Blue.” When the Brown family moved to Virden in August 1924, Little Blue went also. After school and on Saturdays, she would ride Little Blue and help her father on the ranch. She loved working with her father.
The Brown’s farm joined Robert Thomas Johns’ farm. She became good friends with Orpha Johns and they spent a lot of time riding horses. Wanda loved water; one of her favorite things to do was to swim in the canal.
One Tuesday night Orpha Johns and Floyd, Fern, and Wanda Brown had ridden double on a couple of horses to Virden to attend mutual. On their way home, Floyd Johns, who was moving back from working on the road in Solomanville, came driving up in his model T Ford. He stopped and asked if anyone would like to ride home with him. Wanda’s brother, Floyd B., insisted that Wanda and Fern ride with Floyd Johns and let him ride Little Blue home, with Orpha. Although Wanda didn’t want to, she felt she didn’t have a choice. Fern jumped at the suggestion, jumped off the horse and into the car by Floyd. All the way home, Floyd kept trying to talk to Wanda but she sat back against the seat so he couldn’t see her and Fern would answer his questions.
But that was a beginning of a friendship and then a romance. Two and a half years later in 1927, they were married in Clifton, AZ, which was quite a trip back then. Wanda’s family really liked and respected Floyd Johns and were very pleased with the marriage. Wanda said she hadn’t dated much, occasionally a Layton boy and Floyd, but Floyd on the other hand had dated several girls. When they had their first daughter they named her Viola after one of the girls Floyd had dated and admired in a special way. One day when asked about it by her granddaughter, she said, “Why should I let it bother me — I am the one he married.”
After they were married they lived with Floyd’s parents. Two weeks after the wedding Wanda got really sick with red measles and was completely covered with red spots.
During their marriage, they lived in everything from a tent to a new home. Wanda was a talented homemaker so it didn’t seem to matter whether she lived in a tent, a one-room hut with a dirt floor, or a new home: it was clean and orderly and felt like a heavenly palace to her family. One day Floyd told her “Wanda, you have been a wonderful wife. I’ve never been ashamed to bring anyone into our home. You have kept a beautiful clean home. I’ve always known that I could bring anyone in for dinner with me and you would have a meal any man would be proud to sit down to.” What a tribute for a man to pay his wife.
It was a joyous day in May 1965 when Floyd took Wanda and his family to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Wanda always served in the church. She especially loved teaching the youth, she had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and loved to share her testimony with her church classes. She loved the Savior and taught as He did. She was a captivating story teller with well-prepared lessons; her students loved her. She constantly read the scriptures, church magazines, and good books. She always had a new story to tell. Wanda loved being a visiting teacher, starting when Viola was 18 months old. Her first partners were Grandma Brown, Sister Edna Richins, and Sister Flossy Donaldson.
In 1976, after 49 years of marriage, Floyd passed away with cancer. Wanda missed Floyd so much. One day when being teased about finding a boyfriend and getting married again she said, “There is only one cowboy who is going to put his boots under my bed.” She truly loved Floyd.
In 1977, she sold her farm and ranches to her son Robert and moved to Animas to be close to her two daughters, Viola and Floydean. Here she continued her legacy of visiting teaching, teaching in primary and Sunday School, and of service. When she retired as a visiting teacher due to poor health, she had served 68 years as a visiting teacher and almost as many years as a primary or Sunday School teacher.
Wanda was amazing in remembering dates. One day she and Viola went to Lordsburg and she insisted that she needed to make a stop at the Up-to-Date Grocery Store. There was a young man who worked there as a carry out. She delivered a gift and some homemade candy to him for his birthday.
Viola and Wanda would go to Duncan for perms from Ella Mae. They always started out early in the morning because they had many stops to make after receiving their perms. Ella Mae always received a loaf of Wanda’s homemade bread as did Dr. Lovett, Mr and Mrs. Byres, and numerous others. It was always dark when they returned home in Animas. Many have been recipients of her baked goods: bread pies, cakes, cookies, or donuts. Sometimes whole meals were taken, as she often did for the Donaldson brothers who lived across the river. She loved to give and serve. In her 80s, she was still making bread to share with the old people — many younger than she was. She remained young and active after many of her peers were dead or old because she actively stimulated her mind with reading and learning and kept her body busy with service.
One granddaughter shared that she loved to go see grandma. “No matter what grandma was doing — cooking, cleaning, or serving people — she was wearing her high heels. I always wanted to be like her.” It wasn’t until years later that we found out that she wore her old heels and dresses around the house to wear them out and to save money.
Wanda was generous with her time, talents, and money. She would give nice birthday, Christmas, and special occasion gifts. She paid an honest tithe, a generous fast offering, and helped support many missionaries. When her children or grandchildren were in fiancial need, she would willingly help them out.
Wanda was a positive person, always making others feel good about themselves. She loved to visit with her sisters Fern and Gertrude and enjoyed being with her family.
One of Wanda’s favorite sayings was, “Honey, if we could put our troubles in a basket with everyone elses, we would always try to get ours back.”
Wanda loved to make quilts and give them away. She would quilt days without end. Daughters and granddaughters loved to go help her quilt and enjoy her company and her delicious meals.
Her love for music and singing lasted throughout her life. Everyone enjoyed watching her pump her old organ and sing those beautiful songs; many were patriotic. Here is a picture of her playing the piano and singing at a family gathering.
She had a fun sense of humor and was a lady of her word. Integrity was important to her. One day she called Mrs. Marion Veck; her husband, Bill, was quite a character. When he answered the phone, Wanda said, “Could I talk with Marion?” “It will cost you a quarter,” he answered. “I’ll pay you when I see you,” she told him. Most people would have forgotten about it, not Wanda. The next time she saw Bill she said, “I owe you a quarter.” His face turned bright red.
Viola remembers her mom teaching her and her little brothers and sisters to pray. First, she would kneel them on her lap when about a year old. Then she would have them close their eyes and she would say a little prayer for them. When they were a little older they would kneel by her knees, later by the side of their beds. Wanda was a good wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She passed away on Viola’s birthday, in the evening of 6 September 2001 at the home of her daughter Alice, in Eager, AZ.
When Wanda was five months old, there was an epidemic of diphtheria and scarlet fever. The Brown family was afflicted and both Rita and Isabel died within a month of each other. When Wanda got sick, Teresa said, “It looks like we’re going to lose every one of them.” So they packed up their wagons and started the move back to Luna where Stephen Alonzo had a farm and two ranches. The first day they got as far as Virden, where he purchased a farm with gold pieces he carried in his chuck box. He rented the farm out to Rob Johns, stayed the night, and continued the trip to Luna.
When Wanda was almost four years old, her father was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Pratt was a month old. Wanda remembered waving goodbye to him as he walked down to the Luna Store and caught a ride with the mailman to St. Johns. After he returned from his mission they had 2 more children, Chet and Gertrude. Stephen returned to the freighting business he had started before his mission.
Wanda started school when she was six, completing the 1st through 8th grades in Luna. They walked to school when it was warm but during the snowy winter months her father took them to school with a horse and sleigh. Wanda liked to play games. Her favorite games were steal the sticks, dodge ball, hide and seek, hop scotch, and jacks and ball.
The Brown family lived in Luna until Wanda was fifteen. It was here that Fern, Pratt, Chet, and Gertrude were born. Every summer they would pack up and move up to a log cabin on the ranch. Nearly every morning one of the kids’ socks or something would be missing. There was a big ole pack rat that would carry things off and hide them. Stephen told them not to worry because they would find the missing articles when they packed up to return to Luna and sure enough they did.
Her father played the piano, organ, and fiddle. He taught Fern and Wanda to chord and to play the piano and organ. Wanda liked to play by ear. Music was easy for her and she loved to play, sing, and entertain others. She collected songs. When she was in the 8th grade, Brother Edgar Burk asked her and Manuel Gonzales, who played the guitar, if they would like to start a band. Brother Burk played the fiddle. Wanda was so excited! They played at dances for weekend entertainment for everyone, young and old. Fern was good with chords also but she did not like trading off with Wanda because she preferred to dance all the time. Wanda also loved to dance and would manage to talk Fern into playing a couple of songs. Wanda also learned to play the French harp. If the weather was bad, the children had to stay in the gym or building at recess. Wanda would play her French harp and the other students would dance. She didn’t get to play in the band very long because her dad decided it was time to move back to Virden so the children could get a better education. Luna didn’t have a high school and he didn’t want his children to go to school in Reserve.
Wanda’s cousin had given her a horse that she dearly loved. She lovingly called him “Little Blue.” When the Brown family moved to Virden in August 1924, Little Blue went also. After school and on Saturdays, she would ride Little Blue and help her father on the ranch. She loved working with her father.
The Brown’s farm joined Robert Thomas Johns’ farm. She became good friends with Orpha Johns and they spent a lot of time riding horses. Wanda loved water; one of her favorite things to do was to swim in the canal.
One Tuesday night Orpha Johns and Floyd, Fern, and Wanda Brown had ridden double on a couple of horses to Virden to attend mutual. On their way home, Floyd Johns, who was moving back from working on the road in Solomanville, came driving up in his model T Ford. He stopped and asked if anyone would like to ride home with him. Wanda’s brother, Floyd B., insisted that Wanda and Fern ride with Floyd Johns and let him ride Little Blue home, with Orpha. Although Wanda didn’t want to, she felt she didn’t have a choice. Fern jumped at the suggestion, jumped off the horse and into the car by Floyd. All the way home, Floyd kept trying to talk to Wanda but she sat back against the seat so he couldn’t see her and Fern would answer his questions.
But that was a beginning of a friendship and then a romance. Two and a half years later in 1927, they were married in Clifton, AZ, which was quite a trip back then. Wanda’s family really liked and respected Floyd Johns and were very pleased with the marriage. Wanda said she hadn’t dated much, occasionally a Layton boy and Floyd, but Floyd on the other hand had dated several girls. When they had their first daughter they named her Viola after one of the girls Floyd had dated and admired in a special way. One day when asked about it by her granddaughter, she said, “Why should I let it bother me — I am the one he married.”
After they were married they lived with Floyd’s parents. Two weeks after the wedding Wanda got really sick with red measles and was completely covered with red spots.
During their marriage, they lived in everything from a tent to a new home. Wanda was a talented homemaker so it didn’t seem to matter whether she lived in a tent, a one-room hut with a dirt floor, or a new home: it was clean and orderly and felt like a heavenly palace to her family. One day Floyd told her “Wanda, you have been a wonderful wife. I’ve never been ashamed to bring anyone into our home. You have kept a beautiful clean home. I’ve always known that I could bring anyone in for dinner with me and you would have a meal any man would be proud to sit down to.” What a tribute for a man to pay his wife.
It was a joyous day in May 1965 when Floyd took Wanda and his family to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Wanda always served in the church. She especially loved teaching the youth, she had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and loved to share her testimony with her church classes. She loved the Savior and taught as He did. She was a captivating story teller with well-prepared lessons; her students loved her. She constantly read the scriptures, church magazines, and good books. She always had a new story to tell. Wanda loved being a visiting teacher, starting when Viola was 18 months old. Her first partners were Grandma Brown, Sister Edna Richins, and Sister Flossy Donaldson.
In 1976, after 49 years of marriage, Floyd passed away with cancer. Wanda missed Floyd so much. One day when being teased about finding a boyfriend and getting married again she said, “There is only one cowboy who is going to put his boots under my bed.” She truly loved Floyd.
In 1977, she sold her farm and ranches to her son Robert and moved to Animas to be close to her two daughters, Viola and Floydean. Here she continued her legacy of visiting teaching, teaching in primary and Sunday School, and of service. When she retired as a visiting teacher due to poor health, she had served 68 years as a visiting teacher and almost as many years as a primary or Sunday School teacher.
Wanda was amazing in remembering dates. One day she and Viola went to Lordsburg and she insisted that she needed to make a stop at the Up-to-Date Grocery Store. There was a young man who worked there as a carry out. She delivered a gift and some homemade candy to him for his birthday.
Viola and Wanda would go to Duncan for perms from Ella Mae. They always started out early in the morning because they had many stops to make after receiving their perms. Ella Mae always received a loaf of Wanda’s homemade bread as did Dr. Lovett, Mr and Mrs. Byres, and numerous others. It was always dark when they returned home in Animas. Many have been recipients of her baked goods: bread pies, cakes, cookies, or donuts. Sometimes whole meals were taken, as she often did for the Donaldson brothers who lived across the river. She loved to give and serve. In her 80s, she was still making bread to share with the old people — many younger than she was. She remained young and active after many of her peers were dead or old because she actively stimulated her mind with reading and learning and kept her body busy with service.
One granddaughter shared that she loved to go see grandma. “No matter what grandma was doing — cooking, cleaning, or serving people — she was wearing her high heels. I always wanted to be like her.” It wasn’t until years later that we found out that she wore her old heels and dresses around the house to wear them out and to save money.
Wanda was generous with her time, talents, and money. She would give nice birthday, Christmas, and special occasion gifts. She paid an honest tithe, a generous fast offering, and helped support many missionaries. When her children or grandchildren were in fiancial need, she would willingly help them out.
Wanda was a positive person, always making others feel good about themselves. She loved to visit with her sisters Fern and Gertrude and enjoyed being with her family.
One of Wanda’s favorite sayings was, “Honey, if we could put our troubles in a basket with everyone elses, we would always try to get ours back.”
Wanda loved to make quilts and give them away. She would quilt days without end. Daughters and granddaughters loved to go help her quilt and enjoy her company and her delicious meals.
Her love for music and singing lasted throughout her life. Everyone enjoyed watching her pump her old organ and sing those beautiful songs; many were patriotic. Here is a picture of her playing the piano and singing at a family gathering.
She had a fun sense of humor and was a lady of her word. Integrity was important to her. One day she called Mrs. Marion Veck; her husband, Bill, was quite a character. When he answered the phone, Wanda said, “Could I talk with Marion?” “It will cost you a quarter,” he answered. “I’ll pay you when I see you,” she told him. Most people would have forgotten about it, not Wanda. The next time she saw Bill she said, “I owe you a quarter.” His face turned bright red.
Viola remembers her mom teaching her and her little brothers and sisters to pray. First, she would kneel them on her lap when about a year old. Then she would have them close their eyes and she would say a little prayer for them. When they were a little older they would kneel by her knees, later by the side of their beds. Wanda was a good wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She passed away on Viola’s birthday, in the evening of 6 September 2001 at the home of her daughter Alice, in Eager, AZ.
Information for Wanda Brown Johns
Parents: Stephen Alonzo Brown & Bertha Teresa Reynolds
Birth: 23 May 1909
Place: Thatcher, Graham, AZ
Marriage: 12 Feb 1927
Place: Clifton, Greenlee, AZ
Sealed: 8 May 1965
Place: Mesa Arizona Temple
Died: 6 Sept 2001
Place: Eager, AZ
Buried: 10 Sept 2001/ Virden, Hidalgo, NM
Spouse: Floyd Pace Johns
Birth: 1 July 1904
Place: Duncan, Greenlee, AZ
Died: 3 May 1976
Place: Tucson, Pima, AZ
Buried: 6 May 1976/ Virden, Hidalgo, NM
Parents: Robert Thomas Johns & Talitha Cumi Pace
Birth: 23 May 1909
Place: Thatcher, Graham, AZ
Marriage: 12 Feb 1927
Place: Clifton, Greenlee, AZ
Sealed: 8 May 1965
Place: Mesa Arizona Temple
Died: 6 Sept 2001
Place: Eager, AZ
Buried: 10 Sept 2001/ Virden, Hidalgo, NM
Spouse: Floyd Pace Johns
Birth: 1 July 1904
Place: Duncan, Greenlee, AZ
Died: 3 May 1976
Place: Tucson, Pima, AZ
Buried: 6 May 1976/ Virden, Hidalgo, NM
Parents: Robert Thomas Johns & Talitha Cumi Pace