Mary Johnson, 86, of Malvern passed away Monday, Oct. 4 in a hospital in Hot Springs. She was formerly of Dyess.

She was born November 3, 1917 in Bradley to the late Luther McDonald Keen and the late Mattie May Newport Keen. She was a former dietician for the Hot Springs County Hospital in Malvern. She was a member of the Riverside Baptist Church in Donaldson and a former member of the Eastern star.

Mary loved to travel with her husband who was in the Navy, and they traveled extensively during his military career to several different countries. She loved to cook and can in her early years and found great enjoyment in canning for her family, especially her purple hull peas for her son, Don. She always seemed to have extra vegetables to share with her friends and neighbors after her canning was done.

In her later years she became a licensed amateur radio operator and spent much of her spare time enjoying this hobby.

Survivors include one son: Donald "Butch" Johnson of Charlottesville, Va.; one brother: Johnny King of Pine Bluff; three sisters: Launera Jackson of Poyen, Jean Allen of Bentonville and Jo Ann Rogers of Sheridan; two grandchildren: Jimmy Joe Johnson and wife Kelly of Richmond, Va. and Janet Malia McLeod and husband Lester of Sidney, Australia; three great-grandchildren: Dustin Johnson, Nathan Johnson and Ann Malia McLeod; several nieces and nephews; and faithful friends and neighbors Alton and Ruth McKim who spent many hours of devotion to her care.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Homer Joe Johnson; one son, James Ray Johnson; her parents; two brothers: Douglas MacArthur Keen and Lindsey McDonald; and one sister: Mattie Margaret Griffith.

Funeral services were held at 10 am. on Saturday, Oct. 6 at Riverside Baptist Church in Donaldson with Rev. Bobby George and Rev. John Clements officiating.

Burial followed in Ouachita Cemetery under the direction of Atkinson Funeral Home of Malvern.