Jeanne Johnson of Jefferson County is described as the kind of volunteer every nonprofit organization wants but few are lucky enough to have.
Johnson, 77, was recognized for her volunteerism last month when she was named the Show Me Service Senior Volunteer of the Year for the St. Louis region.
She has spent about 14 years volunteering at Ride On St. Louis, a nonprofit organization that offers equine-assisted services to people with disabilities and other challenges.
Johnson of Festus retired in 2011 after working 45 years for Ameren in various roles at offices in Festus, De Soto and House Springs.
“I was off maybe a week and I went straight (to Ride On St. Louis),” she said.
Johnson volunteers full-time at the organization as a bookkeeper and office manager.
She was among 20 Missouri volunteers honored during Missouri Service Day on April 22 at the State Capitol, with Lt. Gov. David Wasinger as the keynote speaker. Also at the event, state Rep. Ken Waller, R-Herculaneum, presented Johnson with a Missouri House of Representatives resolution signed by House Speaker Jonathan Patterson.
The resolution states Johnson “continues to do the work of an entire team while serving as the organization’s steady hand, safety net and secret weapon all rolled into one.”
According to the resolution, Johnson “takes on the equivalent of a full-time job without a paycheck and does it all with precision, humor and a level of dedication that goes far beyond expectations.”
Johnson said her good health and the benefits she received when she retired from Ameren have allowed her to work at Ride On without pay.
“I like working,” she added.
Johnson, who prefers being in the background, had no idea she had been nominated for the award until she received an email informing her that she had won the award.
Ride On St. Louis CEO Marita Wassman and her daughter, grant manager BriAnn Session, said Johnson deserves the recognition.
Since 2011, Johnson’s efforts have helped the organization serve more than 1,000 people with disabilities and challenges, while saving nearly $750,000 in staffing costs, they said, adding that Johnson also has helped with fundraisers for the nonprofit’s new permanent home outside Hillsboro.
They were surprised Johnson didn’t complain about having her picture taken at the Capitol because she normally dodges cameras.
“I’ve tried for years to catch her in front of the camera, but she prefers to stay behind the scenes,” Session said.
Johnson, who describes herself as a homebody, prefers to talk about her daughter, Michelle Forness – a current national director for the Missouri American Quarter Horse Association who placed first in the American Quarter Horse World Championship Show in Western amateur horsemanship in 2017.
Michelle’s twin sister, Kerri, and older brother, Jimmy, died in an accident when they were ages 3 and 5.
“It was hard,” she said. “I really know what the gates of hell look like because I was there for a while.”
After that accident, Johnson said she devoted her life to Michelle “because she’s everything.”
Johnson grew up in Festus, the oldest of seven children. She graduated from the former Sacred Heart Catholic School in Festus and Festus High School and briefly attended Jefferson College in Hillsboro.
She did not grow up with horses. She was 21 when her husband, whom she would later divorce, introduced her to riding.
“I learned how to ride on a stallion,” she said, adding that she and her husband participated in fun shows and later circuit shows for about 20 years.
Right before ending her own hobby to focus on her daughter and her daughter’s horse, Johnson placed sixth at the American Quarter Horse World Championship Show in Amateur Aged Geldings in 1989.
Her first involvement with Ride On St. Louis came when she was looking to rehome trophies her family had accumulated over the years.
“I needed to get rid of those trophies,” she said. “And I thought, well I’ll donate them because they can (remove the names) and give them out.”
Johnson said she then helped out with some of Ride On’s events and heard the group was going to need a bookkeeper around the time she planned to take an Ameren buyout. She spoke up and volunteered for the job.
Johnson said she has volunteered so much over her life that her brother once told her, “You got to stop raising your hand.”
But, Johnson said, she enjoys the work.
She said she is eager to get back to her yardwork after she has surgery on her knees. She’s also looking forward to going back to the ballpark to watch the St. Louis Cardinals play.
“I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan and I’m a huge Yadier Molina fan,” she said. “I mean he is number one. I just keep hoping he’s going to be the new manager and straighten everything out.”
Johnson, who has a 5-year-old Yorkie named Yadi, said her favorite moment in Cardinals history was Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. She does not like traveling, but she could be convinced to go to spring training.
From left are Emma Lou Wassman, Jeanne Johnson and Ride On St. Louis CEO Marita Wassman.
About Ride On St. Louis
Ride On St. Louis, which was established in 1998 in St. Louis County, held a ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremony in March 2024 for its new 27-acre home at 9000 Grab Lane northeast of Hillsboro.
The horses moved to the new facility in February after renovations and a $2.8 million fundraising campaign.
Ride On was based on the Anheuser Estate in Kimmswick for several years until repeated flooding forced it to move in 2020 to a leased property on Byrnesville Road in Cedar Hill.
“We’re not near any water now. That was a prerequisite: no water,” Johnson said.
Session said many programs have transitioned to the new property, while others are waiting on additional infrastructure to be completed.
“Since (late February), we’ve served 258 youth through on- and off-site outreach events that introduced equine-assisted services, horse care and disability awareness,” she said. “Our Barn Buddies vocational program has been running weekly since the move, and we’re expanding Equine Services for Heroes through a new partnership with the Missouri Department of Corrections. A grant-funded pilot is being developed with an anticipated launch later this year, serving 10-20 first responders and veterans.”
Session said Ride On still needs to raise funds for planned improvements. Donations may be made directly at rideonstl.org.
She said business owners and other eligible donors may receive 70 percent tax credits for donations to Ride On St. Louis through the Department of Economic Development’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), in addition to listing the donations as charitable deductions they may list on tax returns.
“(Through May 31,) (eligible) donors with Missouri income can reduce their state liability by up to 70 percent of their donation amount when they give to Ride On St. Louis,” Session said. “A $2,500 gift, for example, could earn a $2,077 credit — making the net cost just $423. It is time restricted with limited credits available. More info and an application can be found at rideonstl.org/nap.”