Barbara J. Johnson, 94 of rural Keystone, passed away on Thursday evening, Oct. 8, 2026, at Christian Care Retirement Community in Bluffton.
Barbara was born on Aug. 16, 1932, in Wells County to Joseph and Dorothy (Dykes) Huffman. She graduated from Bluffton High School in 1950. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Art Education at Ball State University and then received her Master of Science in Art at St. Francis University. She was the Head of the High School Art Department at South Adams, where she worked for 24 years. She continued to participate in school art shows and was proud to wear her South Adams black and yellow her whole life. Barbara was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church in Bluffton. She was a part of the Women’s Altar Guild and would assist in cleaning the church. She and her husband, Phillip were also longtime members of Salamonie Riders Association. They attended the National Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee, for many years and made lots of friends they visited yearly during the show.
On March 1, 1952, Barbara and Phillip E. Johnson were married. They shared 73 years of marriage together before his passing on Sept. 8, 2025.
Barbara is survived by her son, Scott (Elaine) Johnson of rural Geneva; her daughter, Julie (Steve) Harvey of Bluffton; three grandchildren, Corrine (Sean Benge) Harvey of Leesburg, Virginia, Meg (Rob) Kramig of Los Angeles and Eric (Lindsay) Johnson of Keystone; along with five great-grandchildren, Sadie Johnson, Ruby Johnson, Finn Benge, Llewyn Kramig and Conrad Kramig.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Phillip Johnson and a brother, David Huffman.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 at the Thoma/Rich Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton with Pastor Amy Beitelschees-Albers officiating.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the start of the service at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Wells County Creative Arts Council or South Adams High School Art Department and may be directed though the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Lemler family of Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Friends may share online condolences with the family at www.thomarich.com.