Rachel Darlene Johnston

October 22, 1956 – February 18, 2016

Rachel Darlene was born to Henry and Harriet Vangen of Binford, N.D. on Oct. 22, 1956. She was welcomed home by big brother Jim and big sister Martha. She lived in Binford with her family until the fall of 1965 when Jim went off to college and the rest of the family moved to Washington state. Her dad had been offered a chance to manage a farm outside of Pasco and live near his siblings and aging father. One of the highlights of farm life for Rachel was getting a puppy for her birthday and being surrounded by lots of cats.

Rachel’s peaceful childhood was disrupted when she was only 11 years old. She lost her father abruptly that year just a few days before Christmas. Traumatized and grieving, she moved with her mother and her sister to Othello, Wash. to begin the next phase of her life. It was there that she met her best friend from her school days, Anita Foust Parrot. Rachel and Anita remained close over the years even though their lives took different paths. Rachel graduated from Othello High School in 1974.

Rachel became a hard worker as she grew into adulthood. She cooked at the Cimarron Restaurant in Othello from age 16 to age 24. During that time she met and married her first husband, Tim Wilbur. That union was blessed with a baby boy, Heath David Wilbur, in 1977. When Heath was about three years old the family moved to Warden, Wash., where Rachel cooked at the Corral Restaurant. Their next move was to Moses Lake, Wash. Rachel continued to cook in Warden for approximately three years after moving her family to Moses Lake. Her next job was at the Carnation Nestle plant in Moses Lake. About seven years later Judy and Dennis Ferguson asked Rachel to be the office manager of their Heritage Suites apartment complex in Moses Lake. Her new position came with housing for the family at the office on Division Street as Judy and Dennis wanted an on-site manager. Rachel home-schooled her son during some of her time at the Heritage and found joy in making homemade gifts for those who she held dear. A number of people will always cherish the afghans and quilts that she made for them. Family and friends also have fond memories of Rachel’s cooking, especially her lefsa and her lasagna.

She continued to be the office manager at Heritage Suites until 1996 when she moved to Kennewick, Wash. to begin a new life as a single woman. Heath was a young man by that time. She worked numerous jobs in the Tri-Cities; the last job was at Sandvik Special Metals in Finley, Wash. While working at Sandvik she met and married the love of her life, Robert Johnston. Bob and Rachel were happily married for over sixteen years. They enjoyed camping, RVing and spoiling their animals while Rachel remained healthy. Unfortunately the breast cancer that she was diagnosed with about the time that she met Bob came back in the form of metastases to her lungs, liver, and bone in 2011. They were living in Sea Tac, Wash. at that time to be near the plant where Bob worked as a machine operator. When Rachel became too ill to work and travel Bob remained at her side as a devoted spouse and caregiver. He provide around-the-clock hospice care for her in their home until eight days before her passing when it became clear that she needed in-patient hospice care for pain control. Rachel slipped into the arms of Jesus at about 6:10 am on Feb. 18, 2016.

She is survived by her husband Bob; her son Heath and her daughter-in-law Suzanne and grandsons Kian and Roan; her brother Jim and sister-in-law Karen; her sister Martha and brother-in-law Sam; two nieces, four nephews and her Aunt Martha. She was preceded in death by her parents and both sets of grandparents. She will be fondly remembered and sorely missed.

A memorial service for Rachel will be held on March 5, 2016 at 11 a.m. at The Assembly at Moses Lake, 431 E. Brown Avenue, Moses Lake, Wash.