Written by Karen Lyddane, Dick Johns, Louise Stowe-Johns
Dick Johns and Louise Stowe-Johns. Both from the South. Both highly educated, with impressive resumes and published books. Both felt called to ordination and together they’ve devoted over seventy years in ministry. Both share the chaplaincy at The Woodlands Retirement Community.
A Louisiana native, Dick felt a kinship with his life on a farm of over 200 acres. His family originally came from Virginia and Maryland. Living at The Woodlands feels like coming home.
Louise is distantly related to Harriet Beecher Stowe (a premonition perhaps?). Her mother was a “preeminent homemaker.” Born in Nashville, Tennessee, she moved to Oklahoma when just eight. Louise didn’t know much, but she believed she’d have to duck every day from tornadoes. She didn’t. She’d heard many Native Americans lived in Oklahoma and that led her to believe she’d be living in a tent. That didn’t happen either.
After Dick received his bachelor’s degree, his journey into a vocation became clearer during a year to study in Zurich, Switzerland through a Rotary Foundation Fellowship. What a time that was for him!
Coming home, he went to Seminary at Drew University School of Theology in Madison, New Jersey. Guess who was there? A certain preacher’s daughter, named “Louise.”
Louise and Dick decided they’d like to make a life together. About sixteen months after meeting and three days after Christmas, they married in Odessa, Texas. She made her wedding dress which Dick described as “beautiful.” To begin Dick’s doctorate at Duke University they moved from New Jersey to North Carolina. Louise was driving their VW bug and Dick a U-Haul van. Just north of Richmond a tire blew on the U-Haul, causing it to hit a guardrail, sending him into a ravine as the van flipped four times. Wedding presents, clothes, and academic books were strewn all over the ravine. A few hours later an impressive cut in Dick’s head from the accident sent them to the emergency room. A sole painting by Louise was rescued by Dick, which you can see in their apartment today.
After two years in Durham, Dick and Louise moved to Tübingen, Germany for Dick to research and write his doctoral dissertation. Three years of life in Germany was rich intellectually and culturally.
Although Louise wished for a church vocation, as a child she never saw female pastors. Settling for majoring in Art Education, Louise wondered how it would help in supporting her faith mission. Working in an Episcopal church was a turning point. One Sunday she saw a woman blessing the elements for communion and sensed a call. Soon after, she heard a man giving a sermon. She knew for certain that she could do better, and believed God was calling her again.
Louise went on to become the first female prison chaplain in the state of Alabama, an impactful time in her career at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Alabama from 1984 to 1990. The life of a murderer on Death Row inspired her to write and publish the failing of the justice system in addressing spousal abuse.
While serving “jail time,” Louise realized the need for moral and spiritual development for teenagers in custody. With others she wrote a manual for youth offenders called “Epiphany.” At its peak, ten states held Epiphany weekends; that includes ongoing spiritual care with the girls and boys. These weekends are truly life-changing for many.
Their beautiful home in the country, complete with a greenhouse that held Dick’s prize plants, eventually became more a responsibility and less a source of satisfaction. Repeated falls and the usual home repairs signaled a time for a change in where they should live. They visited several retirement communities, including The Woodlands. During their leisurely tour, Dick and Louise did not sense the “old person’s life.” They felt the welcoming atmosphere and admired the comfortable, elegant setting. Louise describes The Woodlands as “bright and airy, with beautiful landscaping. The hospitality is genuine.”
Living this new lifestyle comes with possibilities to meet many new people and have time to get to know them. Every day is one of choice—daily social events are just a short walk from their front door. Out-of-town adventures are offered with their needs and interests. The dining staff “are mostly college kids and seem to be clairvoyant.” “They are good with people, so patient, mannerly, and of the age we’re used to being with in our careers.” Louise adds: “All of the staff are wonderful.” Dick expressed his great relief in coming home from hospitalization and recuperating in a deeply restful way. If a fall happens, support is immediate. “Inviting our family for a nice meal in the elegance of our home, giving Louise a break from all the work, is a true gift.”
Louise and Dick cite the size of The Woodlands as a real plus. “It’s big enough that we have many friends and small enough that we can actually get to know them. As part-time chaplains it’s possible to give to the Vespers program the time and thought it needs, and we can do our best work.” It shows, by the growing attendance. And Dick and Louise’s joy in their lifestyle shows as they discover opportunities every day at The Woodlands.
