Allie S. Johnson. April 26, 1917 — February 14, 2007 With her Southern charm and verbatim memory, Allie and her husband, Cliff R. Johnson, presided over a rapidly growing Presbyterian congregation in Alexandria, VA. Beginning in 1943, she and Cliff built Westminster from a nascent body of 122 members to a strong congregation of over 1,500 by the time of Cliffs death in 1970. She was born Allie Blanche Stricklin in Dillon, SC . Her family later moved to Florence, where her father built up a successful printing business. She graduated in 1938 from Coker College in Hartsville with a bachelors degree in elementary education and married Cliff the same year. Later she did graduate work at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA. She and Cliff began their ministry in the mountains of West Virginia before Cliff accepted a post at the Leesburg VA Presbyterian Church. In 1943 Cliff was called as the second pastor of Westminster. Allie taught the Senior High youth and remained in contact with the members of that first class throughout her life. She made everyone feel welcome, and Cliff used to say, Allie could get conversation out of a signpost. However, much of her time was devoted to her two sons. After Cliffs premature death, she worked as secretary to the Chaplain of the US Senate. It was characteristic of Mrs. Johnson that she befriended many members of the Capitol Hill police and was said to know the names of their wives and children. After her retirement in 1989, she was a well-known daily customer at the Waffle Shop in Alexandria and had friends from all walks of life. Less than a year after her move to Goodwin House, she passed away on Valentines Day while taking a nap. She is survived by two sons, Clifford Johnson of Pittsburgh, PA, and Samuel Johnson of Greensboro, NC; by two granddaughters, Ellen Hamilton of Alexandria and Virginia Burke of Annapolis, and two great-grandchildren, Devon and Colin Burke. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2701 Cameron Mills Road, Alexandria, VA 22302, tel. 703-549-4766. Donations can be sent to Westminster in lieu of flowers. Published in the Morning News on 3/8/2007. <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.