1961
Kay and Monte Johnson
Kay and Monte Johnson were married July 1, 1961 in Wichita, Kan., and took up residence in Lawrence. Both were graduates of KU, Kay in education and Monte in business. Kay taught school at Centennial and Monte was employed by the Kansas University Athletic Corporation. Their daughter Jackie and son Jeff were both born in Lawrence.
In 1970, the family moved to Wichita, where Monte joined the Fourth National Bank as director of marketing. Kay was a stay-at-home mom until 1979, when she became a real estate agent. They returned to Lawrence in 1981, where Monte became President of Alvamar, Inc., and Kay joined McGrew Real Estate Company. In 1982, Monte became Director of Athletics at KU, and served in that capacity until 1987. Both Jackie and Jeff received their business degrees from KU.
While Kay continued as a real estate agent at McGrew, Monte became a business consultant in marketing and finance. In 1991, Kay and Monte formed KAJO, Inc., an oil and gas operating company that explores for oil and gas in Eastern Colorado and West Central Kansas, a business that continues to this date. Kay and Monte have become the grandparents of five wonderful children, three in Jackie’s family and two in Jeff’s, with Jeff’s third due in February 2008.
As of this writing, Jeff and his wife Corey live in Wichita with four-year-old Eley and one-year- old Price. Jackie’s daughter Jordan is a senior studying business and journalism at KU, daughter Hilary a senior at Lawrence High School and son Jackson a ninth grader at Southwest Junior High.
From 1987 to the present, Kay and Monte spent a great deal of their volunteer time raising the money and rebuilding their fraternity and sorority, Phi Delta Theta and Pi Beta Phi. The Pi Phi Project was completed just in time for granddaughter Jordan Ferguson to become our third generation Pi Phi. We have two generations of Phi Delts, with at least two grandsons as prospective third generation Phi’s. Additionally, Monte served on the Douglas County Community Foundation Board starting in 2004.
In general, the Johnson’s have been blessed over the 35 plus years they have lived in Lawrence. Having a chance to document some of our family history during this Sesquicentennial is a meaningful event in our lives, for which we thank those who made the Walk Through Time possible.
Step Sponsored By: Kay and Monte Johnson