Sonja Gwen Johnson, of Moore, Oklahoma, passed away from this life on December 23, 2022, at the age of 80.
She was born November 3, 1942, in Preston, Idaho, to Carl & Rita (Packer) Peterson.
Sonja loved her family and was always very supportive of them and the many good friends she made throughout her lifetime. She was married to her husband, Solomon Lank, for 38 years, building and maintaining strong family ties, lifetime friendships and solid community relationships. She was devoted to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces, and nephews.
Sonja met her friend and companion, Emmett, at her Braum’s breakfast club, with whom she enjoyed socializing and traveling. Sonja fulfilled a lifetime dream when she graduated from the University of Oklahoma with her bachelor’s degree in 2003. She was employed at Tinker Air Force Base and retired after 27 years.
Throughout her lifetime, Sonja loved creating things. She enjoyed sewing clothing for herself and her daughters when they were young, and later sewed clothes for dolls during Christmas time to donate to families in need. She decorated beautiful cakes for family and friends for weddings, birthdays, baby showers and other special events. She loved to do ceramics art and often gifted family and friends with her ceramic figurines. Sonja involved her family in the things she loved to do and took part in the things they loved to do. She loved to bowl and was in a bowling league for many years, guiding her daughters into joining leagues as soon as they were old enough. She was also highly involved in her daughter’s and grandchildren’s sports teams, coaching her daughters’ softball teams for a number of years and being instrumental in establishing the Moore Girls Softball Association as the association secretary. Sonja loved to travel, and one of her favorite destinations was Idaho, where she went as often as she could to visit her late mother, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces. She always told stories about her life in Idaho to keep her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren knowledgeable about her roots and her side of the family.
Sonja is survived by 2 daughters, Shari Johnson & wife, Rachel, of Marana, Arizona, and Susan Robinson & husband, Rick, of Oklahoma City; 7 grandchildren, Lacee Sutton & husband, Dustin; Cody Johnson, Lank Johnson, Lolo Johnson, Ralyn Johnson, Rikee Robinson and Huston Robinson; 3 great-grandchildren, Axel Sutton, Oakley Sutton and baby Sutton on the way; 2 brothers, Randy Peterson and Brad Peterson, both of Idaho; 2 sisters, Dee Graham and Ellie Watkins, both of Idaho; and a host of other loving family members and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, Carl & Rita Peterson, her husband Solomon Johnson, and her brother, Jim Peterson.
Visitation for Sonja will be held from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at the John M. Ireland Funeral Home and Chapel, located at 120 South Broadway, in Moore, Oklahoma. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm, Thursday, December 29, 2022, at John M. Ireland Funeral Home & Chapel. Interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 2301 E. Indian Hills, Norman, Oklahoma. Services are under the direction of the John Ireland Funeral Home & Chapel
