Paula Ness

Paula Anne Johnston Ness

August 25, 1948 -  September 6, 2023

Paula Anne Johnston Ness was born August 25, 1948 in Nampa, Idaho  to Eva Mae Robinson Johnston and Elmer David Johnston.  The family lived on a ranch at Castle Creek in Owyhee County and Paula enjoyed helping with the animals and exploring the desert with her siblings.  She attended Castle Creek Grade School (one-room school with 8 grades) and Grand View High School (later to be consolidated with Bruneau and called Rimrock High School.)  She attended Boise State University for a year, studying art.  She moved to Alaska where she met her husband Jeffry Ness.  He was a ski instructor in the U.S. Army and she worked at  a graphic arts studio, on assignments such as the Mother Moose TV show, and  the Iditarod Magazine covering the famous dogsled race.  Jeff and Paula spent the next few years in South Dakota and then in Nampa, and then were invited to Brooklyn, New York, by the Watchtower Organization, where Paula worked in the art department, and Jeff worked in maintenance.  They then returned to South Dakota, where they could be available to help Jeff’s parents.  They were active in the congregation in Hot Springs where they owned Southern Hills Sign Company.  When the home they had designed and built themselves burned along with other homes in a forest fire, they retired a few years early, and moved back to live in Owyhee County in Idaho.  Paula enjoyed speaking to others about the Bible, and made it her life’s work, along with her interest in fine art.  She leaves her husband Jeff, (married 49 years), her mother Eva Johnston (age 102), and siblings Irene Chandler, (Gary), Carol Shaffer (Richard) Sam Johnston (Sandy) and Russell (Deandreia), along with a large extended family and friends from every congregation they ever attended.  No services are planned, but  friends and family look forward to a time as mentioned in Daniel 12:13 where the ancient prophet is told, “And as for you yourself, go toward the end, and you will rest, but you will stand up for your lot at the end of the days.”  We can all look forward to this happy time, where all mankind will live in peace and harmony world-wide under the rule of God’s Kingdom, as promised in Psalm 37:11 “...the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,  And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”

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