Johnnie M. Rader
April 14, 1950 – April 13, 2017
A funeral service for Johnnie Mac Rader, 66, of Lancaster and formerly of Mineola, will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. with Rev. Al Dusek officiating at Beaty Funeral Home.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.
Johnnie Mac Rader was born on April 14, 1950. He died on the morning of April 13, 2017, at the age of 66 at Hackberry House in Lancaster, Texas. He is survived by his brother, Gene Rader, of Tyler; and sisters Vickie Oyer, Lawrenceville, Georgia, Doris Newman, Mineola, Sharon Strickland, Pat Finley and Rogina Brakeall of Xenia, Ohio, as well as Carol Beckett of St. Petersburg, Alaska. He is also survived by his Uncle Bill Smith of Conroe and Aunt Ann Melder of Louisiana, and a host of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Lydia Ruth Pfister, as well as his father, LeRoy Pfister and his sister Cheryl Cruitt.
Johnnie attended elementary school in Irving, Texas, at Southwest and Brown Elementary Schools. After his mother Ruth married Roy Pfister, he moved with his family to Xenia, Ohio. He was a Boy Scout and was honored for scholarship, as well as participation in football and track and perfect attendance at West Junior High School. Johnnie graduated from high school in Xenia, where he had been on the wrestling team.
Johnnie served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era, working as an electronic technician. He served much of his time in The Netherlands, and was honorably discharged from Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Afterwards he worked for a company installing microwave communications, climbing tall towers as part of his work, mainly in the northeastern part of the United States.
As a young adult and adult, Johnnie enjoyed going rabbit hunting in the cornfields that surrounded the family’s home in Ohio. After moving to Texas Johnnie enjoyed fishing, particularly for bass. He was never one to do anything half way and still holds the family record for the largest bass caught at Lake Holbrook while fishing at “the north end.” He lived in an apartment at Mineola Seniors Community for many years.
Johnnie was an honest, brilliant, kind and fair-minded person with a quirky sense of humor who was well-liked by everyone who met him. Oftentimes when his name is mentioned, it brings a smile to the person’s face. He was just that kind of person.

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