Sister Ida Johnson turned 100 on the 11th of June 2015. Ida enjoyed the celebration held for her at the church on Sabbath the 6th of June. Her family also organised a celebration for her on her birthday. Ida passed away on the 17th of June after a brief illness. Ida was a faithful and valued member of both the Corrimal and Wollongong Churches. A memorial service was held for her on Friday the 3rd of July at the Wollongong Church.

Ida was born in 1915 in Moss Vale as Ida Dorothy Jordan. Ida married her husband Fred Johnson on the 18th of February1933 in Buxton. They had four children: John, William, Winifred and Graham. With 13 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren and great- great-grandchildren, Ida represented 5 generations of the Johnson family.

Ida and her family had previously been Methodists. She and her husband Fred came into the Seventh-day Adventist Church through their friendship with Pastor Pettit many years ago. Ida and Fred were baptized on the 3rd of July in 1972.

One of Ida’s talents was her ability to cook. In fact she regularly entered her baked goods in the local Bulli show. Every year she received a number of first, second and other prizes. Over the years, different people in the church, when they needed a bit of help, received one of Ida’s wonderful packages of home-cooked food. Ida also worked with health and welfare outreach in the church doing vegetarian cooking, working with Dorcas and welfare and helping with the Van Ministry in the Illawarra well into her senior years.

Ida touched the lives of many people in her local community. Neighbours, bus drivers and even the owners of the local fruit shop, who had immigrated and knew very few people when they first came to Australia, were the beneficiaries of her kindness and cooking ability.

Ida was a forthright woman who was independent and mentally and spiritually sharp up to the end. Ida believed in using her talents to benefit those around her.  When asked about her long life Ida said that in her life “God holds my hand and He guides me.”

Contributed by Pam Grootemaat, Communications Secretary, Wollongong Church