Jim and Judy Johnson
Through the course of life people have countless opportunities. Each donor at the Washington County Foundation loves that idea-- but not just for them. They care about the community. They look for those that need help now and those that will in the future. Donors give hoping to make this community a home for others and offer a door of opportunity to those that need it. Jim and Judy show us exactly what that looks like.
Jim was born to Richard and Agnes Johnson in Evansville, Indiana on June 26, 1953. Interestingly, he and their son Aaron share the same birthday. Like Aaron, Jim was also the youngest of his family behind his older sister, Frances, and older brother, Charlie. As a boy, he spent time working at the family owned truck-stop in Haubstadt, Indiana, half-way between Evansville and Vincennes. Shortly after his dad passed away in 1964, the family moved to Decker, Indiana, which Jim points out, “was only 7 miles from where Judy was.”
Jim was a part of the first class of high school freshman ever at South Knox High School in 1967. Although he went to middle school in Decker, South Knox High School was formed from a merger of local high schools in Decker, Monroe City, Fritchton, and Wheatland the year he was supposed to start high school. He recalls going from a class of 23 students to a class of 105. His commute at Decker was a simple walk but now it was a 50-minute bus ride. Jim couldn’t wait to get off of the bus and his first taste of independence was—a motorcycle. He would trade bikes 3 more times before he bought his first vehicle, a 1957 Chevy 210 Post for $85.
After graduation, Jim had no real desire to pursue further education. He spent a year as a sharecropper until he got a phone call from a friend named Doyle “Bugs” Fields. “Come with me, Jim. I’m going to join the army!” Bugs told him. Jim’s dad was a veteran and he knew sharecropping wasn’t something he planned on doing long-term, so he made a swift decision. “The next week (after the phone call) I was taking the Oath.” Jim recalls.
Jim served our country from 1972 to 1979. In August of 1972, he was a part of the 101st Airborne that went into Vietnam. In 1975, he served in the VII Army Corps where he met friend Michael S. Tucker. He and Tucker would be the first two Americans to graduate from German Ranger School. In 1978, Jim spent time jumping out of planes and helicopters for the 82nd Airborne. In 1979, he retired from the army to unwind and step away from the political backlash that came from serving at the time. “I get more praise for my service now than I ever did then.” Jim remembers. “Back then, you would be in uniform at the airport and people would cuss at you, boo, and even throw stuff.”
Falling back on his family roots, Jim bought a Sonoco gas station in Decker. For 2 years, he had a hectic 66-hour work week, but he decided to add an additional job that would eventually turn into one of his lifelong passions. Paoli Peaks had just opened and they needed someone to work during the busy winter season. Jim was that someone.
With an hour and a half drive to Paoli Peaks from Decker, the 66-hour work week at the gas station was becoming hard to handle. He sold the gas station and began working at a local alfalfa dehydration mill, roughly between Decker and Vincennes, as he continued working and growing alongside Paoli Peaks in the winter time.
After working at the mill one afternoon, Jim got coaxed by one of his friends to play co-ed volleyball in a gym nearby at St. Rose Academy in Vincennes. He had heard that some of the South Knox girls were coming. During one of the games he went up for the volleyball but ended up coming down on one of the girl’s ankles. That ankle belonged to Judy.
Judy was born to Robert and Dorothy Clause in Vincennes, Indiana, on June 29, 1961. She was the middle child between her older sister, Jane, and younger brother, David. Her daughter Emily is the oldest of her children followed by her son Aaron.
She grew up in a rural part of Knox County which was a perfect backdrop for her to work and play. Her primary mode of transportation was her “flower power” bike which featured a white basket on the front and tassels flowing off of the handlebar grips. “In the mornings we would take our bikes and ride all around,” Judy remembers. “But we always made it back for dinner.”
In 3rd Grade, Judy got her first job. After school she would ride to a nearby farm, roll up her sleeves and begin working in the melon fields until the sun went down. She also developed craft skills like sewing, baking, knitting, and home furnishing in her 10 years with 4-H.
Fortunately for Jim, Judy played volleyball in high school, but most of her time after school and during the summer was spent working for another produce farmer, Dexter Bluebaum. During school, Judy would ride the bus to Dexter’s farm and work. In peak times like July and August, she remembers working 7 days a week.
After high school, Judy went on to study respiratory therapy at Vincennes University. She began her post-education career at Good Samaritan Hospital, which is the main hospital for Knox County, Indiana and Lawrence County, Illinois. The hospital wasn’t too far from St. Rose Academy, where Jim and Judy met playing volleyball. At this time, Judy also worked as a clinical instructor at Vincennes University.
Their first date featured an awful movie and a crazy story. Jim was working at Ski Butler, a small ski area in Carrollton, Kentucky, when he injured himself with a table saw. He was a 2 hour and 45 minute drive from Judy so he called to let her know that he had cut his finger and would be running late. “My mom and dad had left for church and had come back before Jim got there,” Judy recalls. “I told my mom that I was going to give him 5 more minutes then I’m leaving. Next thing I know Jim is knocking at the door and my dad said it looked like his ‘wing was in a sling’.” Jim had actually had surgery that day, to repair a tendon in his hand.
In 1984, Jim and Judy became the Johnsons in a small Catholic Church called St Thomas. The heartbeat of their story is that love doesn’t have distance because they, often times, had to commute to go to work and to be together.
After the Good Samaritan Hospital, Judy transition to clinical instructor position at the University of Louisville. She also spent time at the Carroll County Hospital and Clark Memorial Hospital as the director of respiratory therapy following her instructor positions.
Jim had transitioned from the gas station to working snow-sports full time for Paoli Peaks. The Peaks had just been established so they weren’t able to sustain Jim for a full time position so he looked for work that could compliment his part-time obligations. After convincing Judy to learn how to ski, she convinced him to go back to school and get a degree in electronics. That helped him get a job with the specialty chemical company called Dow Corning in April of 1989.
Around that same time Judy had taken a job as the director of a ventilator unit for a small company called ACMED. After working there only a few months, the owners asked her to head up the newly formed Human Resources Department. Not one to say no to a new opportunity, Judy readily agreed to give it a go. During the next 7 years the company grew from less than 50 employees to over 500 in 10 different states. The owners of the company eventually sold it to a larger corporation which moved the Respiratory Division to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Judy decline the transfer opportunity and began looking for the next chapter in her career.
Jim took an early retirement from Dow Corning and began a combination of jobs. He worked as the project manager for Salem Middle School’s renovation, started Ranger Electric, started a commercial automatic door company in Indianapolis, and continued working the winters at Paoli Peaks.
In 2001, Jim floated Judy an idea. They were looking at the local newspaper and there was an ad for the Washington County Community Foundation. “You should apply for that.” Jim said to her.
The Foundation started in 1993 and Judy was the first employee and second executive director. Most foundations in the area started between 1990 and 1995 so it was an exciting time to grow as the field in the state of Indiana was also growing. “The greatest thing you can do is learn how to learn,” Judy said. “You don’t even really know what your job will be in 20 years.” Leading the Foundation for so many years was a great opportunity for Judy to continually learn new things.
Jim returned for a brief stint with Dow Corning before officially retiring in May of 2019. He still works part-time for both Paoli Peaks and with his automatic door and access company, ADA. “I think you should still have something to do,” Jim said. “Even in retirement you have to have purpose.”
Judy’s career with the Washington County Community Foundation is the longest tenured one for her at 19 years. With that comes the lows of donors passing away to the highs of seeing significant change in her community. She remembers the excitement of giving away the millionth dollar to Beck’s Mill. Now, the Foundation gives $500,000 each year.
The Johnsons have grown over the years, both as a family and professionally, by doing exactly what the Washington Community Foundation stands for. They worked hard, embraced change, took risk, and most importantly, gave back to others. Each career added a new skill, each mile commuting added desire to be back together, and each new adventure brought perspective on how to help others.
Donors at the Washington County Foundation care about the community. They look for those that need help now and those that will in the future. Donors give hoping to make this community a home for others and offer a door of opportunity to those that need it. “Its all about how you approach things,” Judy said. “You could have the same year 19 years in a row or you could have 19 special years, learning new skills and embracing change. We have been fortunate to have had several great opportunities come our way and the fortitude to take on those opportunities. We have always embraced change and the opportunity to grow.”
