This obituary was originally published on Rogers & Breece Funeral Home.
Miyako Kondo Johnson, 94, of Eastover, passed away on March 3, 2025.
Miyako was born on January 25, 1931, in Omuta, Japan to Itaro Kondo and Tayiko Esaki and was proud of her status as a member of a samurai family. Coming of age in the World War II era, Miyako and her twin sister Tokiko both attended nursing school on scholarship at the Kurume University School of Nursing. After graduation in 1945 she worked for the University hospital as a surgical nurse.
She married John B. Johnson, a soldier in the U. S. Army on March 16, 1953. As a proud military wife, she accompanied her husband to the United States in November of 1953 and proudly became an American citizen on October 15, 1959. In 1966 she became a beautician. After John’s retirement in 1971 they settled in Fayetteville, and she went on to own and operate Miyako’s Beauty Salon.
Her many talents included Japanese doll making, flower arrangement, sewing, machine knitting and crocheting.
Miyako was preceded in death by her husband, John; parents, brothers, Toshio, Seigi and Hiromi; sisters, Nuiko, Shizuka and Tokiko; and her great grandchildren, Cameron Blake Draughon and Ashley Marie Garrett.
Miyako leaves behind her son, Roland (Andrea) Johnson of Raleigh; daughter, Roza Johnson of Eastover and sister, Aiko of Arao, Japan. She also leaves behind 4 loving grandchildren, Roland Garrett, Jenifer Garrett, Brenden Ribar and Lorelei Johnson as well as 6 great grandchildren, Carson Aldrich, Austin Draughon, Julia Draughon, Kourtnie Ribar, Kayden Ribar and Kohen Ribar.