Orval Johnston

March 5, 1932 - November 27, 2011

Orval C. Johnston, 79, died Sunday, November 27, 2011 at his home in Torrington, Wyoming. Cremation has taken place. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, November 30, at the Lighthouse Ministries Church with Pastor Rick Carroll and Pastor Cliff Hickman officiating. Private family burial will take place after the services. Memorials may be made to Gideons International. Arrangements are under the direction of the Colyer Funeral Home and friends may send their condolences to the family at  www.colyerfuneralhome.com .  Orval was born in Sutherland, Nebraska on March 5, 1932 the son of Roy G. and Sylvia Payne Johnston. The family moved to Buena Vista, Colorado where he attended school. The family later moved to Granby, Colorado where he graduated from high school. Orval married Eleanor Smith on February 15, 1953 in Grand Lake, Colorado. He served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. When Orval was discharged they moved to Denver and then on to Rye, Colorado. Orval was a custodian at the local school and a pastor at the Baptist Church. Orval and his family moved to Fredonia, Wisconsin where they were preparing for missionary work. The family moved to Fraser, Colorado where he started a church and worked as a custodian at the school. They then moved to Fruita, Colorado where he was a pastor and worked for the city. They also lived in DeBeque, Colorado and Buena Vista, Colorado where he was a custodian. They retired to Salida, Colorado and then moved to Torrington, Wyoming in 2000. Orval’s wife Eleanor died in 2008. He married Martha Hauf on March 13, 2011 at Torrington. Orval enjoyed music and playing the piano, accordion and guitar. He loved gardening and growing fruit trees. He also enjoyed making wind chimes and feeding birds. He was a member of Gideons International and the kitchen band at the Senior Friendship Center.  Survivors include his wife Martha Johnston of Torrington; children, Cheryl and her husband Kenneth Licata of Denver, CO, Cynthia and her husband Gerald Blazek of Brentwood, CA, Brenda and her husband Carl Yuill of LaGrange, WY, Pamela and her husband Rodney Dodge of Vilas, CO; siblings, Art and his wife Rita Johnston of Arkansas, Dewey Johnston of Oregon, Dorothy Archie of Colorado, Velma and her husband Richard Becker of Arkansas, Mary Johnson of Omaha, NE; step-sons, Lonnie Hauf of Torrington, and Terry and his wife Laurl Hauf of Mitchell, NE; 15 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. Orval is preceded in death by his first wife Eleanor; grandchildren, Candace and Brett Yuill; 5 brothers and 1 sister.