Marcus Johnson

Kerrville Marcus A. Johnson III, quotBuddyquot passed away Oct 9, 2010 in Kerrville, Texas after a long and wellfought battle with Parkinsons Disease. He began life December 8, 1931 in Bishop, Texas born to Lucille Cavender and Marcus A. Johnson Jr, whose deaths Buddy followed.

Buddy graduated from Bishop HS in 1949, began college at Texas AI University in Kingsville the same year but enlisted in the Air Force before graduating. While serving at Lackland Air Base in San Antonio he met Sherlee Ann Mayes while on a deerhunting trip near her home in Crystal City, Texas. The two wed in a garden ceremony at Sherlees parents ranch home January 24, 1953 and moved to San Antonio until Buddy was discharged in October 3, 1954. They returned to Kingsville where Buddy and Sherlee lived in the married student housing until Buddy graduated with a B.S. in Agriculture May 26, 1956. They returned to Crystal City where Buddy owned and operated the Humble service station until accepting a job with Del Monte Foods which had a very large farm and canning plant at the edge of town.

Buddy moved up the ladder, eventually managing major commercial farms for Del Monte in Ogden, Utah Burley, Idaho Irrapuato, Guanajuato Mexico Swedesboro NJ and Mayaquez, Puerto Rico. He left Del Monte in 1971 to work for a while with GL Webster Canning Company in Cheriton, Virginia before moving his family back to Texas in 1972 where he owned and operated commercial laundry equipment in Kingsville and managed 3,000 acres of cotton and sorghum farmland for Ernest Barkley along the Chapman Ranch Road. In 1978 Buddy and Sherlee moved to Sherlees childhood home in Crystal City and Buddy joined the Texas Agricultural Extension Service from which he retired August 31, 1996. Buddy and Sherlee moved to Kerrville in 1995.

Buddy is survived by his wife of nearly 57 years, Sherlee two sons Rodney Johnson, DDS of Corpus Christi, Mark Johnson, MD of Odessa his only sibling, Betty Jo Cooper of Kingsville, and six grandchildren Brad, Sarita, Cullen, Jordan, Trey, and Hannah.

No immediate services are planned but a casual brief memorial is planned for 11am Saturday October 16 at Church of the Hills in Ingram Texas 3325 Junction Highway, coming from Kerrville go right at the Y in Ingram on Highway 27 toward Mountain Home, about one block on the left, just behind Moores Lumber Yard.

Family requests no flowers. If desired please consider memorial donations to the Hill Country Youth Ranch P.O. Box 67, Ingram TX 78025

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