Wilbur Edwin Johnson

Companion Wilbur E. Johnson was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on August 22, 1914, the son of Clyde E. and Laura Mae Johnson. He attended the Bartlesville schools, graduating from High School there in 1932. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and graduated in 1938 with a B.S. Degree in Finance. While in the University, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Following graduation he went to work for the Carter Oil Company (now Exxon) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subsequent assignments took him to Jackson, Mississippi; Bismarck, North Dakota; and St. Elmo, Illinois. In 1942, he was drafted into the U.S. Air Force and took in-station training to be a weather observer at Baer Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana. In January, 1943, he sailed to Abadan, Iran, and was assigned to the 19th Weather Squadron. He was in the Middle East for 31 months, with assignments in Kano, Nigeria; Doroud, Iran; Benghazi, Libya; and Cairo, Egypt. He was honorably discharged in October, 1945, after 40 months of total service and immediately returned to work for the Carter Oil Company in St. Elmo, Illinois.

On October 18, 1946 he and Marilyn Munday were married in Oklahoma City. They have four children, Jim, Tom, Susan and David, and one grandchild, David Paul Galvin. In 1953, he was transferred by Carter to Tulsa, and lived there until 1966, when he was transferred by Hubble Oil and Refining Company to Houston, Texas. He retired from Exxon on July 31, 1976, after 38 years and 3 days of service, and has continued to live in Houston since that time.

He served as Elder of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Houston, in 1968-71, and in January, 1990, completed a one-year term as President of the Gulf Coast Chapter, National Railway Historical Society.

Masonic History

He was Raised a Master Mason in Bartlesville (Oklahoma) Lodge No. 284 on September 21, 1945 while still in uniform. He transferred his membership to Vandalia, Illinois and served as Worshipful Master of Temperance Lodge No. 16 in 1952-53. He had subsequent memberships in Rock Lodge No. 513, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Gray Lodge No. 329, Houston, where he is still a member, and is also a member of Bellaire Lodge No. 1336, Houston. He is a Charter Member of J.W. Chandler Daylight Lodge No. 1452, and served as its first Junior Warden. He then became Senior Warden in July, 1989, and is currently serving in that capacity.

He was Exalted in Vandalia Chapter No. 136, Vandalia, Illinois in May, 1947 and served as High Priest in 1949. He was later a member of Tulsa Chapter No. 52, and afterwards Washington Chapter No. 2, Houston, where he served as Most Excellent High Priest in 1979-80. He now serves as Secretary of that body, and holds plural membership in Will N. Kidd Chapter No. 424 and Lloyd L. Gibson Chapter No. 481. He was District Deputy Grand High Priest of District No. 5-B in 1985. Prior to affiliation, he was elected an Honorary Member of Will N. Kidd Chapter No. 424 in 1981. He served as Excellent Grand Principal Sojourner in Capitular Years 1982-83 and 1985-86. He received the Order of High Priesthood at Chicago, Illinois in 1949.

He was Greeted a Select Master in Centralia (Illinois) Council No. 28 in June, 1947 and served as Thrice Illustrious Master in 1952-53. He later became a member of Tulsa Council No. 22, and then moved his membership to Houston Council No. 1, where he served as Trice Illustrious Master in 1979-80. He currently serves as Recorder of that Council. He holds plural memberships in San Jacinto Council No. 347 and Lloyd L. Gibson Council No. 394. He served as District Deputy Grand Master of District 5-B in Cryptic Year 1980-81 and as Illustrious Grand Steward of the Grand Council in 1984-85. He received the Order of Thrice Illustrious Master (Silver Trowel) at Peoria, Illinois in 1952. He was elected Right Illustrious Grand Principal Conductor of the Work in 1987, Right Illustrious Deputy Grand Master in 1988, and Most Illustrious Grand Master in December 1989.

He was Knighted in Cyrene Commandery No. 23, Centralia, Illinois in May, 1948, and was serving as Generalissimo when transferred to Tulsa in 1953. He became a member of Trinity Commandery No. 20, Tulsa, and later transferred his membership to Ruthven Commandery No. 2, Houston, where he served as Commander in 1980. He holds dual membership in Houston Commandery No. 95. During Templar Years 1987-88 and 1988-89, he was Assistant Chairman of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation of Texas.

He received the Scottish Rite Degrees in the Valley of Houston in March, 1973, the Rank and Investiture of the Knight Commander Court of Honor in 1977, and was coroneted a 33rd Degree Honorary Inspector General in 1985. He served as Wise Master of the Chapter of Rose Croix in the Valley of Houston in 1988.

He became a member of the York Rite College in Texas College No. 14 in May, 1980, and then was a Charter Member of Gulf Coast College No. 106, Houston, where he served as Pre-eminent Governor in 1988-89. In July, 1989, he was elected to receive the Order of the Purple Cross. He became a member of Texas Priory No. 23, Knight York Cross of Honour, and is currently serving as Orator of that body. Other memberships include Royal Order of Scotland, San Jacinto Conclave of the Red Cross of Constantine, Arabia Shrine Temple in Houston, Chinar Grotto in Houston, Bellaire Chapter No. 1021, O.E.S., Resurrection Tabernacle No. 21 of the Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests. He is currently Grand Chapter Representative to California and Grand Council Representative to Indiana.

Obituary

WILBUR EDWIN JOHNSON

Wilbur Edwin Johnson, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend to many, passed into eternal rest Tuesday, November 15, 2011, in Houston, Texas. Born Saturday, August 22, 1914, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, he was 97.

Mr. Johnson was the former Grand Master of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Texas and a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, Houston Scottish Rite Bodies, since 1985. He held many Masonic positions of leadership throughout his life.

He had lived in the Houston area for nearly 50 years. At the time of his death, he and his wife, Rosemary Johnson, resided in Katy, Texas. He died of complications from heart failure, after about two months of hospitalization and rehabilitation.

Mr. Johnson, a friendly and outgoing man with a tremendous memory, loved talking with people, and he kept in touch with many friends he had met decades ago as well as new acquaintances. He had a breadth of interests from his church to railroads to sports. In sports, he was a lifelong fan of baseball’s Giants, first in New York and later in San Francisco. He was very pleased to watch the deciding games of the most recent World Series with his son, David, who was visiting from England.

Mr. Johnson was an accountant at Exxon Petroleum, retiring in 1976 after 38 years. He was a graduate of Bartlesville, Oklahoma High School (1932) and of Northwestern University (1938), where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He also followed Northwestern’s football team and traveled to see it in bowl games, including twice to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

In World War II, Mr. Johnson served as a weather observer in the19th Weather Squadron of the United States Army, 1942-45, in Nigeria, Iran, Libya and Egypt.

Among his many Masonic honors and posts, he was a Past Presiding Officer of the Temperance Lodge No. 16 A.F. & A.M. in Vandalia, Illinois, and the J.W. Chandler Daylight Lodge No. 1452 A.F. & A.M., Houston. He was a member of the Vandalia Chapter No. 136 R.A.M., Vandalia, Illinois; Washington Chapter No. 2 R.A.M, Houston; Centralia Council No. 28 R.&S.M., Centralia, Illinois; Houston Council No. 1 R.&S.M.; Ruthven Commandery No.2, Knights Templar.

Also, he was Secretary/Recorder of the Washington Chapter and Houston Council, 1980-84 and 1986-2001. He was Past Presiding Officer of the Gulf Coast York Rite College No. 106; Recorder of the Red Cross of Constantine starting in 1992. He was a member of the Texas Priory No. 23 Knights of the York Cross of Honour.

Mr. Johnson served as President of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. He was Treasurer of the organization for 15 years. His articles were published in various railroad magazines.

Mr. Johnson’s remarkable life took him many places. He resided in Bartlesville and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Jackson, Mississippi; Bismarck, North Dakota; and Vandalia, Illinois; as well as Houston, Sugar Land and Katy in Texas.

He traveled widely with his wife Rosemary, visiting Australia, New Zealand, England, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Fiji, the Baltic nations, Russia, Scandinavia and the Caribbean.

Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife Rosemary Johnson; daughter Susan Galvin and husband Paul of Houston; son David Johnson and wife Claire of London, England; son James Johnson; and grandchildren David Galvin of Houston, and Christina and Marilyn of London. Mr. Johnson was preceded in death by his former wife Marilyn M. Johnson, who died in 1991; son Thomas A. Johnson, who died in 1995; and his parents, Clyde E. Johnson and Laura Mae Dugan Johnson.

Visitation will be Monday, November 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Waltrip Funeral Directors, 1415 Campbell Road, Houston 77055. A memorial service will be conducted Tuesday, November 22, at 2 p.m. in the Chapel at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, where he had long been a member. The church is at 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston 77024. He formerly was an Elder at the church, as well as at Vandalia (Illinois) Presbyterian Church.

Graveside services, including military and Masonic honors, will be Wednesday, November 23, at 11:30 a.m. at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to charities of your choice.