Born in a pioneer dugout in Cimarron Territory before Oklahoma became a state, she touched the lives of a host of early Panhandle neighbors and was a consistent influence in the community where she reached a family with D. Ray Johnston. Her early life on the pioneer homestead was adventuresome and active. She walked daily to a dugout sschool at Bunch Grass, a mile east of the house. The Bunch Grass community included a church where Irene accepted her Lord as Savior during a summer revival. Irene enrolled in the territory high school in Goodwell, commuting weekends and holidays in a Model "T" on dirt section roads. It was there she met a college student from Hooker {Mouser}, Ray Johnston. Her 1927 class was unique, in that they shared graduation honors with the first senior class of the infant Panhandle A & M College. She taught elementary school at Dombey and Bunch Grass before marrying Ray in her father's home. Irene experienced the dust bowl, the depression and guided her children thru their lives from her home 6 1/2 miles east of Adams. She was at home on a tractor seat pulling a one way plow, loved tenting in the mountains, rode on one of the first express ways in Los Angeles in the 40's, knew the Columbia and Colorado rivers, Fisher Man's Wart, how to trot line, knew brothers in uniform, jet fighters, the birth cries of daughers and sons, and newborn granddaughers and sons. She knew race horses and was a fine rifle shot. A charter member of the Adams Farm Women's Club, she received her gloden 45 year membership pen last year from the Texas County Extension Homemaker's Council. She and Ray united with the Corinth Baptist Chruch which became Adams First Baptist Church where we are today. Irene bore Ray four children: Ethel Marie, infant mortality, Kenneth Ray, Dortha Nell and Dorris Kay.
Survivors include her husband, Ray of the home, a son Kenneth R. and Trixie Johnston of Tampa, FL; two daughters, M/M John Goss, Jr of Tucumcari, NM and M/M James McPherson of Denver, CO.
Memorial services held at the Adams Baptist Church with Rev. Gary Harr, the local minister officiating.