Nancy McClung Johnston was born March 20, 1931, in Clifton Forge, Virginia to F. Wallace McClung and Nancy Gaw McClung. ‘Mitty’ as she was known, was educated in the public schools of Covington, Virginia. Nancy then attended Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia which was a tradition for the women in her family. While there, she worked on the school paper and received numerous awards for her writing. Nancy graduated in 1952 with a degree in English.
Nancy’s early employment included teaching English for Allegheny County Schools and working at the Covington Virginia Newspaper as the Society Editor. Then, in 1955, she moved to Rocky Mount, North Carolina taking a job as a Claims Examiner at the Social Security Administration. It was here that she met the love of her life, Gerald (Jerry) B Johnston of Norfolk, Virginia through an introduction by their rooming house landladies.
Nancy and Jerry were married May 22, 1956, in Hot Springs, Virginia. They honeymooned at the Outer Banks of North Carolina, beginning a precious, long running family tradition of summer vacations together. They had two daughters, Anne Beverly (Bev) and Susan Elizabeth (Betsy). After a few short-term residences in Richmond, Virginia; Clarksburg, West Virginia and Towson, Maryland, Nancy & Jerry established their home in Ellicott City, Maryland in February 1963. It was a new neighborhood with lots of young families moving in at the same time, resulting in a wonderful place to raise a family and develop lifelong friends.
Nancy was an exceptionally creative individual. She began with needlepoint crafts and Christmas ornaments given as gifts and donated to the Church Bazaar. She created beautiful pillows and pictures in crewel embroidery, cross stitch and needlepoint that decorated her home and her children’s homes. In the mid 1970’s, her interest and skills turned to making doll house miniatures. Nancy’s specialty was creating needlepoint and petit point rugs, pictures, upholstery, etc. She also built furniture, accessories, rooms, landscapes and entire doll houses. There are over 50 miniature rooms, vignettes and full doll houses in their home. Nancy created items in three different scales: 1 inch to 1 foot, ½ inch to 1 foot and the tiniest ¼ inch to 1 foot. Nancy was a member of NAME – National Association Miniature Enthusiasts. Many of her works were featured in specialty magazines and at international shows. She sold her items at miniature shows around the area, taught workshops to share her skills with others and even traveled to England and Ireland on tours tailored for doll house enthusiasts. On some of these tours, she found her works displayed in doll house museums.
Nancy was also an avid gardener. She and Jerry had beautiful flower gardens and ponds in their yard. This natural environment brought with it wildlife. Nancy had ‘tame’ chipmunks that took peanuts from her hand and that returned year after year. And of course, lots of birds and deer. In 1971, Jerry built a greenhouse for her. Nancy also transplanted native plants from roadsides and from another favorite vacation spot – The Macshac. This was a cabin her Father had in rural Virginia along the Cowpasture River. The family had lots of wild experiences there – on occasions, a little too wild.
Nancy also enjoyed antiquing around the county and going to auctions at farmhouses and at fairgrounds. In their home there are many treasures she found, as well as beautiful family heirlooms. She played bridge with the ladies in the neighborhood and bowled duck pins for years.
Nancy will be forever missed by her husband of 65 years, Jerry Johnston; two daughters: Beverly Goodwyn, Betsy Adcock; two son-in-laws: Jimmy Goodwyn, Chuck Adcock; five grandchildren: Chris Goodwyn (wife Kristin), Michael Goodwyn (wife Kaulani), Ray Ludwig, Jane Ludwig, Hutton Adcock; four great grandchildren: Jasmine Hungelmann (husband Ethan), Colin Goodwyn, Aidan Goodwyn, Michael Goodwyn; one great, great granddaughter Meadow Hungelmann; and numerous relatives and friends.
Family will receive friends at the Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, 4112 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, on Saturday, November 13, 2021, from 2 – 4 PM, with an informal Memorial program at 3PM.
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