Bertha Mary Johnson McGee

Bertha Mary Johnson McGee, our sweet mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on March 20, 2018.  After making a brave decision to discontinue kidney dialysis this past week, she had a wonderful “going away” party, where she was visited by an unbelievable number of family, friends, ward members, neighbors, co-workers and new friends she has made the past year at Chancellor Gardens Assisted Living Center in Clearfield, all who came to say goodbye and let her know how much they loved her.

Bertha was born on July 25, 1938 in Tropic, Utah to Bernard A and Alice McCarthy Johnson.  She lived in Tropic until her family moved to Farmington Utah in 1951.  She graduated from Davis High School in 1956.

At age 19, she married the love of her life, Alan Leslie McGee on January 17, 1958.  They bought a home in Farmington, had five children and spent 47 years loving each other and enjoying a wonderful life together. They were sealed in the Bountiful Temple on September 29, 2004 and Alan passed away on Nov 14, 2004.  For the past week, Bertha has been anxiously awaiting the time when they could be together again.

She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints her entire life, serving in various callings including an 18-month mission to the Santa Rosa Mission as a Senior Missionary. She also served in the office of the Ogden Utah North Mission.

 Bertha attended the University of Utah, Utah State, BYU and Weber State.  She got her degree in Elementary Education and taught first grade at Layton Elementary school for 33 years.  She was an excellent teacher and loved her students so much.  It was truly her dream career.

First and foremost, Bertha loved her family! She loved her children and her sweetheart Alan. She was the most wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother ever!  She also seemed to “unofficially” adopt children and adults as well (including her doctor), and to her, everybody was family.  She took over 50 foster children in to her home, while she was raising her own children, and made a lasting impact on many of their lives.

She leaves behind three children: Doug McGee (Karen), Holly Beck (Brad) and Linda Harrington, plus her daughter-in-law Candy McGee.  She will be missed by 19 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren, plus several more precious babies on the way. She is also survived by her sister Alice Gay Matheson and two brothers, John Johnson and Bernie Johnson.  She was proceeded in death by her parents, two sons Dale Bernard McGee (who died at age 4) and Scott Alan McGee (who passed away Sept. 5, 2016), her son-in-law Charles (Chuck) Harrington and four siblings, Edward (Ted) Johnson, Bruce Johnson, Gordon Johnson and Anne Johnson Sellers.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 on Saturday, March 24, 2018, at the Compton Bench LDS Ward Chapel, 900 North Compton Road, Farmington.  Friends may call Friday, March 23 from 6:00-7:30 at the Russon Brothers Farmington Mortuary, 1941 N. Main Street, and Saturday, March 24, from 9:30-10:00 am at the church prior to services.  Interment – Farmington City Cemetery.  Online guest book at www.russomortuary.com.

As a family, we would like to thank mom’s doctor, Dr. Stephen Morrell, her Hospice Nurse and special friend Rosemary Wall and Adagio Hospice staff, Dr. Barney & Nurse Patty at the wound clinic, Cori and the staff at Liberty Dialysis and all of the staff at Specialty Nursing and Chancellor Gardens who took such wonderful care of her for nearly a year.