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Flo's Story
When I was a child I was raised by my grandparents, Hiram and Flora Johnson. My mother, Mary Holtsoi, was very young when I was born. I came from a very loving and caring home. Grandma J was the family matriarch. She, Grandpa, my mom, and my stepfather, Billie Holtsoi, all attended school, but, never went beyond the 8th grade. Now that I am older and wiser, I see God’s work in their lives. My grandma was a translator for the SeventhDayAdventistChurch in SmithLake. I remember that with the little schooling that she had, she made a difference. My grandma was very ambitious. We moved to Gallup and she immediately found a Seventh Day Adventist Church on the North side. We lived in a neighborhood of many Hispanics, a few Native Americans, a few Blacks, and a few biliganas. We were all very poor materially. We were rich in love from our family and from God. Sometimes, we don’t see God’s work in our lives until we have become older.
There were missionaries in Gallup with the Christian Reformed Church who went door to door on the North side visiting and passing out church literature. They visited us. They were Rev. Don Houseman and Stewart Barton, Sr. (little did I know), who was an interpreter for the church. We began attending church at Bethany. I have attended Bethany for 57 years now. My husband, Stewart Barton, Jr. has attended Bethany for over 60 years. His dad was an interpreter for the Nazarene church before Bethany.
I began school at Rehoboth when I was in 3rd grade. My teacher was Marie (Peshlakai) Arviso, RCS class of 1949. Marie and her husband, Leonard, are still very active at Rehoboth. I graduated in 1961. I was in a class of 16. Many of the classmates are still good friends. I remember that we had an inch of snow the week before graduation. Teachers really make a difference, but we never truly appreciate it until we leave. We all took so much catechism, reformed doctrine, and Latin that I was always wondering how this was going to help me later in life.
I received a scholarship to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. I had only been off the reservation 3 times in my life up until then. So off I went on the train, 17 years old and wondering what I did wrong that my grandma was sending me so far away. Wow! No one to watch me or scold me. I immediately had a boyfriend and had a blast. I flunked out of college after 1 year.
I came home and grandma wouldn't’t let me sit around and enjoy the good life. She told me I had to go to work. So, work I did, at Gallup Indian Medical Center. I worked for 12 years, when after much prayer, God had plans for us. I applied for another scholarship with the Indian Health Service. It took 2 years before it was approved, but, the desire was there. Off I went to Oklahoma with my 3 children, Tammy, Stewart III (CB), and Trudi. We decided that Stu would stay home and work. I took my brother, Gary, with me and he babysat and helped me out through that first year. It was rough! Stu and I made it a point to see each other once a month. We alternated each month and spent a weekend together a month. After 1 year and after thousands of dollars of phone calls, we decided to put that money to good use, so the next year Stu applied for school and we began our college life at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Stu made up that year the next few summers and caught up so that we graduated together in July 1976. Stu received a B.S. in Secondary Education and I received a B.S. in Medical Records. All that Latin I took in high school helped me immensely through all the medical courses I had to take. God is good! After graduation, I returned to Gallup Indian MedicalCenter to work and retired after 40 ½ years. Stu worked for the BIA at Ft. Wingate High School for 30 years and retired on June 1, 2006.
I enjoy almost everything I do. I love people.
I thank God on a daily basis for my Native American heritage. There are so many things I thank God for: Love for God, my family (all 88), my church, ability to work part time with the Rehoboth community, friends, coworkers, Stu.
For years and years, we went through the arch at the entrance into Rehoboth (by the frontage road). Part of the Bible verse went, REMEMBER NOW? I remember!
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