Love of Job Keeps 80-year-old Working Full Time
Some people work to live, Uneta Johnston lives to work.
She could retire. She's 80 years old and has a nice home in
Ravenna and yard work to keep her busy. But Johnston prefers
to put in a 40-hour week serving meals at Goodwill Industries.
An employee of Pioneer Resources, she's been doing that for
more than 20 years. "I don't know what I'd do if I retired,"
she said. "I'm so used to being with these clients. I love
them all so much," Goodwill provides meals for the employees
of their Apple Avenue building. The catered meals are brought
from Pioneer Resources. "I dish them out onto plates and
serve the clients," Johnston said. A colleague says she does
much more than that. "She runs the cafeteria," said Goodwill
Utility worker Barry Helsing. "She knows everybody by name,
and she's so kind and helpful to everybody. She manages to
figure out what everybody wants." Johnston said there are at
least five dinner hours each day besides morning and afternoon
snack periods. She helps maintain the snack bar, salad bar and
steam table, and serves hot and cold beverages. Helsing said
she is always reliable, and always there. "She wouldn't miss
a day," he said. Serving others has been a life-long occupation
for Johnston, even before she worked outside the home. She
raised three sons, Melvin, Joseph and Storm, who all are
"married and going strong," she said. She cared for her invalid
husband for 10 years before his death. She also raised a
grandson, Kenneth E. Johnston, who now is a Major in the United
States Air Force serving in Korea. "Raised him from a baby,"
she said. Now, as long as her health allows it, Johnston will
continue to work. "I have my little Honda, and I still drive,"
she said. "I'm thankful to the good Lord every day. Isn't the
Lord good to me? He's blessed me to no end." What's her secret?
"Goodness, just keep working as long as you can, cause if you
give up work, everything goes," she said. "My advice is just to
keep going, honey, best you can."
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