Eddie Johnson

Memorial services for Eddie Johnson, 81, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 at Resthaven Cemetery. Mr. Johnson passed away Wednesday night at The Hospice of East Texas in Tyler. He was a long-time insurance agent and civic leader in Jacksonville. He started Johnson Insurance Agency in 1950 in his living room with $10 and a borrowed typewriter. Johnson Insurance Agency is still family owned and operated by his youngest son, Alan. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as deacon, elder, commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, president of the Men’s Council and the Boy Scout Committee. He served in the Army in World War II, was president of the Kiwanis Club and commander of the American Legion in Jacksonville. The youngest of six children of Harry Lee and Susie Johnson, he grew up during the Great Depression. The homeless people who rode the trains through Jacksonville marked the Johnson home as a place they could always get a meal. Mr. Johnson continued this charitable tradition all of his life. He raised untold thousands of dollars as finance chairman for countless charities and projects in Jacksonville and Cherokee County. The one of which he was most proud was raising the funds to erect the Cherokee County War Memorial in the city park. As a man of little formal education, he recognized its economic importance to our community. When JISD needed to pass a bond election, they more than once turned to Eddie Johnson who, enlisting the help of his friend M. G. Moore, worked tirelessly and passed every bond proposal they headed. He joined the Masonic Lodge at the age of 21 and recently received his 60-year diamond pin. He held every degree a Mason can ask to receive in Scottish Rite, York Rite, Chapter and Council, Commandery, and Shrine. He was elected to the Jacksonville City Council at the age of 26 where he served two terms, during which, despite strong opposition, Jackson Street was widened from two lanes to its present width, Lake Jacksonville was built, and the years of work began with the Texas Highway Department to build the overpass. He was the only non-Baptist member on the Board of Directors of Newburn Hospital, and the only non-Methodist on the Board of Directors for Lon Morris College. He was on a first name basis with many governors, representatives, and senators in both Austin and Washington. In November of 1963, he was on his way to Austin for the Texas Welcome Dinner for President John F. Kennedy when the radio broke the tragic news. His ticket was number 1232, the time of the assassination. He coined a campaign slogan “ALL THE WAY WITH LBJ” in a letter he wrote to President Lyndon B. Johnson and received a personal invitation to the Presidential Inauguration. Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary; two sons, John E. Johnson and wife, Brenda, of Covington, La., and Alan R. Johnson of Jacksonville; four granddaughters, Jacqueline Hollowell and husband, Kyle, of Frisco, Candace Johnson of Dallas, Leigh Anne Barber and husband, Duane, of Jacksonville and Heather Metzig and husband, Tyson, of Jacksonville; their mother, Kay Steelman, and her husband, Sterling, of Jacksonville; eight great-grandchildren, and his loving dog, Daisy Mae. If desired, the family requests donations be sent to The Hospice of East Texas, 4110 University Blvd., Tyler, TX 75701 or Cancer Foundation for Life, P. O. Box 8257, Tyler, TX 75711. Published in the Jacksonville Daily Progress on 11/9/2007.

Information from the Jacksonville Daily Progress

EDDIE JOHNSON
Memorial service for Eddie Johnson, 81, of Jacksonville was at 2 p.m. Sunday at Resthaven Cemetery.

Mr. Johnson died Nov. 7. He was a long-time insurance agent and civic leader in Jacksonville. He started Johnson Insurance Agency in 1950 in his living room. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, where he served as deacon, elder, commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, president of the Men's Council and the Boy Scout committee. He served in the Army in World War II, was president of the Kiwanis Club and commander of the American Legion.

He joined the Masonic Lodge at the age of 21 and recently received his 60 year diamond pin. He held every degree a Mason can ask to receive in Scottish Rite, York Rite, Chapter and Council, Commandery and Shrine.

He was elected to the Jacksonville City Council at the age of 26 where he served two terms during which term Jackson Street was widened, work began on construction of the overpass and the construction of Lake Jacksonville. He was the only non-Baptist member of the board of directors of Newburn Hospital and the only non-Methodist member of the Lon Morris College board of directors.

Mr. Johnson is survived by his wife, Mary Johnson of Jacksonville; two sons and a daughter-in-law, John E. and Brenda Johnson of Covington, La. and Alan R. Johnson of Jacksonville; four granddaughters and their husbands, Jacqueline and Kyle Hollowell of Frisco, Candace Johnson of Dallas, Leigh Anne and Duane Barber and Heather and Tyson Metzig, all of Jacksonville; their mother and her husband, Kay and Sterling Steelman of Jacksonville; eight great-grandchildren; and his dog, Daisy Mae. If desired memorials may be made to The Hospice of East Texas, 4110 University Blvd, Tyler 75701 or Cancer Foundation for Life, P.O. Box 8257, Tyler 75711.

November 14, 2007

Information from The Cherokeean Herald