Elizabeth L.(Beth) Johnson is a birthright Friend, meaning that her father was a member of the Religious Society of Friends, having converted as a young man facing conscription in World War II. As a conscientious objector, he fought wildfires in the West, worked as a hospital orderly, was a subject in a medical experiment, and helped maintain trails in Appalachia. The story of his time during the war shaped her family’s sense of who they were.
The family continued their involvement in Quaker activities in Lima, Peru, from 1966 to 1968, while her father worked for the American Friends Service Committee. Her undergraduate alma mater is Guildford College in Greensboro, NC, founded by the Friends. Despite this life with Friends, her family attended several UU Fellowships as they moved about.
Beth has two adult children who grew up in Columbia and three darling grandchildren, so she moved back to Columbia from her home state of NC in 2019. It was natural for her to begin attending the Columbia Monthly Meeting again, and she agreed to act as clerk for two years, which will terminate this December.
Her career included teaching biology and mother-baby nursing. She is now retired and lives in the Rosewood Community.