Nedra Ann Perdue

Nedra Ann Perdue Johnson was born March 10, 1920 in the Sugar Hill Community of Lincoln Arkansas to Grover “W.G.” and Sara “Sally” Elizabeth Burch Perdue. Nedra was born in a house on the farm her grandparents once owned. She spent most of her life on that farm where they grew their own food, made sorghum, and raised apples and grapes.

Nedra married Felix “Pete” Johnson, of Dutch Millis in 1940. About a year after they married Pete was drafted into WW2 where he survived the Battle of Normandy. When Pete came home from the war they started raising cattle and built some of the first chicken houses in their area. Nedra worked very hard but never complained. She loved farm life and did not like going “to town”, not even to buy groceries.

Nedra and Pete had three children, Nancy JoAnne, Wayne Lee and Steven Kent. Steven Kent married Phyllis Guess in 1973. They were both tragically killed in a car accident that same year. Nedra’s husband passed away in 1995. Wayne Lee died suddenly in 2000. Nancy JoAnne, and husband Willis Winkler, reside in Lincoln and continue to work the farm.

Life was not easy for Nedra. Along with losing both her sons and daughter in law she also lost two infant great granddaughters, Kristi O’Brien and Rachel Winkler, grandson Jon Winkler’s 39 year old wife, Kimberly Branson Winkler, and the 2011 Joplin Tornado claimed the lives of another great granddaughter, Marsha Ann Winkler Frost and her 10 year old son Sebastian. Through tragedy Nedra would still quote from her favorite chapter in the Bible, Psalms 91, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God; in him will I trust”. Nedra loved God, her church and her family.

Nedra left the farm for the last time to go into hospice, on June 2, 2015; just four days before her death. Her greatest joy was serving the Lord, but a very close second was living her last years of life with five generations on the farm that she loved. While she was in hospice family continued to work on the farm as it was timely to finish the hay before it rained again. Afterall, this is what she would have wanted. She always said, “I don’t need people standing over me.”

Nedra is survived by her daughter, Nancy JoAnne Winkler, four grandchildren, Larry Winkler, Debbee O’Brien, Sara Williams and Jon Winkler, nine great-grandchildren and fourteen great-great grandchildren.