Elsie Mae (Brown) Johnson was born on September 18, 1939, in Fort Coffee, Oklahoma, to her loving parents, Sherman and Gussie (Smith) Brown. She was the oldest of eight children. Elsie attended school in Fort Coffee.
Growing up, Elsie had a knack for many things, from casting a line fishing to getting her hands dirty in the garden. She also loved having folks around and, most of all, caring for her young’uns. She enjoyed cooking and baking, especially for the holidays with her aunts and her mother, Gussie Brown.
Elsie met the love of her life, Johnnie Johnson Jr., and they were married in 1955. From this union, ten children were born: four boys and six girls.
As Elsie’s children grew, she was very proud of them. Early on, she taught them how to cook, clean, sew, iron, wash, and be self-sufficient. On Saturday nights before Sunday school, the family would have bible study.
Elsie accepted God as her personal Savior at an early age. She was a dedicated member of the Mount Triumph Baptist Church in Fort Coffee, Oklahoma, for over 50 years, where she served as a deaconess and on the usher board. She took pride in cooking and overseeing the after-church dinners in the cafeteria and was instrumental in helping the sick and shut-in with food and other necessities.
Elsie was a great mother and a hard worker. She worked many odd jobs while raising her children and caring for her family. Her last employment was with Southern Steel and Wire in Fort Smith, Arkansas, for over 25 years.
Her favorite pastime was cooking, baking, watching “The Young and the Restless,” fishing, chewing tobacco, visiting and caring for the elderly, and whooping her children when necessary. She insisted her older son sing some Sam Cooke songs while she and Johnnie danced the night away.
Elsie went home to be with the Lord on April 26, 2025. She was preceded in death by her parents, Sherman and Gussie Brown; her husband, Johnnie Johnson Jr.; daughter Doris Ann Johnson; sisters Viverine Brown, Mary Brooks, Betty Ross, Gracie Love, and Floyzell Jones; stepsister Kay Roberts; brother Billy Brown; and grandsons Devin Johnson, Jeremy Johnson, and Joshua Johnson; granddaughter, Shamiah Johnson-Citizen.
She leaves to cherish her memories: her loving children Warren (Patricia) Johnson, Beverly Joyce (Ronnie) Johnson, Calvin (Minnie) Johnson, Teresa Johnson-Ayers, Harold (Audrey) Johnson, Carolyn Johnson, Mary Johnson, Alvin Johnson, and Virginia Renay Johnson-Brooks; brothers Tony Brown of Phoenix, AZ, stepbrother Horace (Chyle) Smith of Denver, CO; sisters Yvonne (Sheverly) Chambers of Oakland, CA; stepsisters Jean (Joe) Boyd of Las Vegas, NV, Saleema Jalpiddin of Roland, OK, Trudy Smith of Merrillville, Indiana; twenty one grandchildren, thirty two great grandchildren, two great great grandchildren and a host of family and friends.
You may leave an online message at www.MalloryMartinFuneralHomeSpiro.com.
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