Deborah Jane (Johanson) Oram

Born March 19, 1950 to Fred J. Johanson and Elsie Jane (Gordon) Johanson, Deborah was raised in Jamestown and graduated from Jamestown High School in 1968. She attended Jamestown Community College and Louisiana State University before marrying and staying home to raise her daughters.

An active mom, Deborah joyfully served in parent-teacher organizations at her daughters’ schools, often in leadership roles, and loved organizing creative arts and crafts projects for her girls and their friends.

While in Jamestown, she was congregant of The First Presbyterian Church and a member of Creche and Cabin, Inc.

Deborah went on to complete her bachelor’s degree at SUNY Empire State and her master’s degree at SUNY Fredonia. After earning her teaching certificate, she returned to her alma mater, JHS, as a teacher of American and European History. There, she was also a proud booster of the A Cappella Choir and served as faculty advisor to the class of 2000.

Once her children had grown and flown, Deb pursued a lifelong dream of living in the American Southwest and relocated to Uvalde, Texas, where she continued to teach history at Uvalde High School.

A great lover of nature, Deb treasured time in the great outdoors. In Jamestown, she enjoyed birdwatching at The Roger Tory Peterson Institute and hiking the Luensman Overview Trail. She had an uncanny ability to spot bald eagles and red-tailed hawks, and could seemingly find them just about everywhere while driving. Deb expanded her daughters’ worldview by taking them on several trips with friends and family. She especially loved the history, nature, and spirit of the American West. Favorite vacations together included Yellowstone National Park’s Lake Lodge; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Sun Valley, Idaho; Park City, Utah and Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

Ever the teacher, she always took time to share interesting histories and important facts about the places and cultures the family encountered together.

In Uvalde, Deb enjoyed antiquing, crafting (especially knitting and wreath-making), volunteering at the hospice thrift shop, birdwatching at Cook’s Slough, and walking her beloved dog, Sweetie Pie, along the Leona River.

Deb loved her friends and family above all else. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, a brother, Robert G. Johanson, and infant sister, Herdis Johanson.

Surviving are a brother, Daniel (Rosanne) Johanson, of Jamestown; daughters Lindsay (Temple) Ratcliffe of San Antonio, TX, and Ashleigh (Michael) Roscishewsky of New York, NY; grandchildren Ava, Natalka, and Ivan Roscishewsky; nephews Lars (Melissa) Johanson and Erik (Kaitie) Johanson; a grandnephew, Sebastian Johanson, and dear friends from Jamestown, Uvalde, and San Antonio.

A May 2024 memorial service in Jamestown is planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Deborah’s name may be made to the Briscoe Animal Resource Center of Uvalde at https://barc uvalde.com/.