Martha Johnson

Martha Smith Johnson was born on August 26, 1926 to Gertrude Bostnich Smith and Tommy Lee Smith. The second oldest of nine children, Martha was the loving daughter of two parents who were sharecroppers of the south from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where she was born. Martha learned how to work on the farm along with her other siblings as a housekeeper and a homemaker during her early years of life. She attended school in the south of Arkansas where she finished school. At an early age, Martha accepted Christ in Arkansas. In 1944, Martha met and married James Johnson and the two moved to Chicago, Illinois. To this loving union, six children were born. Martha and her siblings, Fannie Moore, Gurlee Watson, Rosetta Grigler, Acey Smith, Lacy Smith, David Smith, Clarence Smith and Tommy Smith, were very close and did everything together, even the move to Chicago. They brought their mom along with them to the neighborhood of 39th and Calumet, where they all lived side by side for years. Martha was a very loving person. She loved her family and friends very much. She had a wonderful personality, a kind heart and a great spirit. She was a very laid back type of person, but spoke her mind to the people she loved with wisdom and truly when needed. Martha also was a very spiritual woman who knew the word of God and could quote almost every scripture in the Bible. Martha was a whiz at putting 1600 pieces of puzzles together. She also enjoyed playing cards and listening to the Blues until she upgraded to Zapp & Roger, Michael Jackson, Tyrone Davis and Take 6. This brought Martha much pleasure during her life. Over all, Martha was a great wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, grandmother and great grandmother. On October 19, 2015, Martha departed this life. She was the last patriarch of our family. She was preceded in death by parents, Gertrude and Tommy Lee; her husband, James; her oldest and youngest sons, Jesse and L.J.; four siblings; nieces and nephews, Doris Jean Stewart, Johnnie Mae Watson, Malinda Grigler, John Walter Harris, Frank McCullough, Gloria McCullough and Karen Watson. Martha will be greatly missed but never forgotten. She leaves to cherish her loving memories, four children, her oldest daughter, Rosetta Crawford and son-in-law, Kenneth Crawford; son, Edward Johnson; and daughters, Christine Johnson and Sherry Matthews; four siblings; nieces and nephews, Betty L. Young, Willee Dean Grigler, Della Grigler, Birl Grigler, Bobbie Dell Jones, Myra Watson, Robert Lee Porter, Sheila Watson-Anderson; her grandchildren, Rochelle Jones, Brenda Thornton, Sonya Henderson, Elijah Henderson, Shanna Crawford. Little Kenneth Crawford, Sharee Johnson, Felicea Johnson, Lionel Johnson, Marvin Johnson, Lafayette Garth, Ayshea Garth, Tiffany Matthews, Tabatha Matthews, Jeremiah Matthews, Malic Matthews, Alexander Weatherspoon, Ashley Johnson, Jasmine Johnson, Devon Johnson; and a host of great grandchildren, great nieces and nephews, all of whom she had a great loving relationship with, other relatives and friends.

Tributes

Martha Johnson

August 26, 1926 - October 19, 2015