Ernest Francis Johns, 88, of Mercer, Pa., and Summerfield, Fla., formerly of West Deer Township, died at 6:30 a.m. Monday at UPMC Passavant hospital, Pittsburgh, where he had been a patient for a brief time.

Born Sept. 12, 1916, in Butler, he had been a resident of West Deer Township for 54 years.

A graduate of Etna High School, he attended Pennsylvania State College Extension and served in the Army during World War II.

He was employed by Republic Steel Corp., Russellton, from 1935 to 1945. After being discharged from the Army, he worked at the Culmerville Transit Co. Later, he worked at National Valve and Manufacturing in Etna for more than 30 years.

Mr. Johns was a member of the East Union United Presbyterian Church since he was a teenager and served as a deacon and elder. He enjoyed traveling, fishing, woodworking and Bible study.

Surviving are his children, Gary D. Johns (Roseann) of Los Angeles, Dianne Streyle (Wayne) of Freedom and Roger E. Johns of Mission Viejo, Calif.; a brother, Mark Roland Johns of Anza, Calif.; a sister, Esther Nancy Johns Boone of Bird City, Kan.; a granddaughter, Jennifer R. Streyle of Freedom; two grandsons, Pennsylvania Wolfe Johns and Dominic Gregory Johns, both of Los Angeles; and many cousins, nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Martha Gregory Johns, who died Dec. 11, 1999; his parents, William Francis Johns, who was the first acting superintendent of West Deer High School and Kathryn Jane Wolfe Johns of El Cajon, Calif.; three brothers, Glen Harding Johns, Sherman Wolff Johns and Robert Stewart Johns; and a sister, Miriam Johns.

JOHNS - Friends of Ernest Francis Johns, who died Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, will be received 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at SCHELLHAAS FUNERAL HOME, 5864 Heckert Road, Bakerstown. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Lakewood Memorial Gardens, Dorseyville.In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be may to the West Deer Alumni Scholarship Fund, 11 Ideal Drive, Cheswick, PA 15024.Please pay tribute at www.schellhaasfh.com.