9TH GENERATION JAMES ORVAL RANSDELL AND JUANITA JOHNSON

9^th Generation: Children of Gilbert Sterling Ransdell

James O. Ransdell

1918-1968

Hazel Juanita Johnson

1919-2005

photo: Jim & Juanita Johnson & sons

My Personal Memories of Jim and Juanita

Pop’s son, our uncle Jim, inherited his father’s wonderful sense of humor. At every reunion, every family picnic and Christmas party while I was growing up, Jim would be the life and heart of the gathering, keeping everybody laughing with his jokes and kidding. Jim was a Scoutmaster for years in Erlanger; one of his sons earned his Eagle award, the other his God and Country award. Jim himself was awarded the Silver Beaver, Scouting’s highest adult recognition. I’ll never forget the long line of uniformed Boy Scouts who came to pay their respects at his funeral in February 1968. He had suffered for five years with lymphoma, a form of cancer, which finally took his life at age 49. How greatly he has been missed!

Jim's wife Juanita was always one of my favorites. She was a science teacher for many years, and I remember her going to the University of Cincinnati, taking classes to complete her degree. Maybe she was my inspiration to go back to college in middle age myself! While a U.C. student and a teacher, she was a host mother for some international students, and she continued to correspond with them for many years—one more thing she and I had in common.

When Juanita retired from teaching in 1981, my mother wrote in a letter to me, "I know the Covington school system is losing one of the best teachers they ever had."

Her obituary in the Kentucky Post read as follows:

Hazel Juanita Johnson Ransdell, 83, of Erlanger, died Friday at Villaspring Care Center, Erlanger. She was a teacher with Erlanger and Covington schools, an elder emeritus of Erlanger Christian Church. She was a member of Kenton County Retired Teachers Association and Bette Carter Morgan Club. Her husband, James Ransdell, died in 1968.

Survivors include sons, David Ransdell of Union and James Ransdell of Florence; a sister, Ruth Danks of Erlanger; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Erlanger Christian Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to Christian Church Outdoor Ministry Programs, 1125 Red Mile Road, Lexington, Ky. 40508, or Licking Valley Girl Scout Council, 607 Watson Road, Erlanger, Ky. 41018.

Juanita’s oldest grandson wrote the following tribute to her:

My grandmother was one of the most influential people in my life. When I was a baby and first learning to talk, I apparently couldn't say "Grandma" very well and it came out sounding like "Deeball". For a few years, I called her Deeball, and then I shortened it to Deeb. That became the only name I ever knew her by, and the name most people referred to her by after that. On her wreath at her funeral, the only word on the ribbon was "Deeb".

I think my interest in remembering my family history comes from Deeb. She was always concerned about remembering who you were and where you came from. She knew relatives from far and wide that most of us had never heard of and knew all their kid's names, their spouse names, etc.. She was always trying to write down the history of our families. I also think I was born in the wrong generation. She made sure I knew so much about my grandfather, as I told you, she swore I was the reincarnation of him.

I spent a great portion of my summers as a child with her. She was my symbol of permanence and heritage. Deeb was my rock and her house was the place I always knew would be there for me. She was always teaching me things and instilling in me an interest to learn. She had me talking and reading in my two's. She was always teaching me things about nature and science. We would hatch chicken eggs, watch Monarch butterflies emerge, collect rocks, make tornadoes in a bottle, study birds, and visit the natural history museum. She was constantly keeping my mind growing and I didn't even realize it because I was enjoying it so much. Many of my cousins will remember spending the night at her house, sleeping outside in her camper, making a blanket tent under her kitchen table, dressing up in superhero costumes she made for us, and eating popcorn and raw egg milkshakes until we would pop. I could go on and on, but you can see how special my time with her was.

Even as she got older and more lonely, I was always able to bring a smile to her face. She never had a cross word to say to me, and even in her most trying moments, I was always able to calm her. I shared a very special bond with her, and I'm sure my connection to my grandfather had a lot to do with it. I am also extremely glad that she lived long enough to get to know my daughter, who will remember her great grandmother for the rest of her life.