New Town Shooting Victim Laid to Rest | Video

Amy Fox | 11/26/2012

It`s a day of healing and a day of remembrance in New Town. Funeral services were held Monday for Martha Johnson, the 64-year-old woman who was shot to death a week ago along with three of her grandchildren.

Cars lined the streets outside of Bethel Lutheran Church in New Town to remember the life of a person whose life was cut short.

"I, like so many people in this community, I am really at a loss to explain how such a thing could happen here. How such a thing could happen and impact the lives of the little children and Martha Johnson, it is beyond my ability to grasp," explains Bethel Lutheran Church Pastor Grant Patterson.

Johnson and her three grandchildren were shot and killed in their New Town home last weekend. Now, friends and family are remembering the times they had with Johnson.

“She helped other people. She was a loving person, willing to help out. She was a good sheperd for this church and a good helper at our church. She was just a nice good lady,” said Patterson.

As Ronald Hanseen explains, "Martha seemed like a wonderful person. I served on the church council with here for a few years, and I know she was really busy."

From Girl Scouts to church, Johsnon stayed busy helping out in the community.
"I knew Martha very well,” said Patterson. “I know her from, she was the president of our church council. We spent a lot of time together."

"She really had a great sense of humor and really conscience about what she did,” said Hanseen.

She recently took in her four grandchildren to help her daughter out.

"We always felt they couldn`t have had a better home than over here with Martha and Harley,” said Martha’s brother-in-law Sam Olvis. “So, it was just a beautiful thing."

As Martha has been laid to rest, some say the memories will never be forgotten.
Hanseen said, "I’m sure it will be a long time before she`s forgotten or if she ever will be which I doubt."

"Life will never be the same again here in New Town,” said Patterson. “This community has been changed for generations. This is such an enormous and dreadful event and where we go from here. I really don`t know."

Funeral services for Johnson`s grandchildren, Benjamin, Julia and Luke Schuster, will be held on Thursday in Warsaw.

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