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Obituary for THELMA B. JOHNSON
Thelma Brooks Johnson, better known as mom, grandma, Aunt Thelma, Cousin Thelma, Tee, T.J., Glamour Lady and Billie. She was born 11/16/1930 and blessed to have two moms. Her maternal mom Mae McCochran and her adopted mom Viola Saunders who was responsible for her growing up and receiving her education.
At a very young age of 12 and during a children’s day program she sang her first solo (in the old Brooks Chapel). “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”. The late James Mason encouraged her to join the Brooks Chorus (which started her story and started her song). She attended the public schools of Calvert County and graduated from Brooks High School.
In 1948 she married McKinley Johnson and was married for 53 years. This union was blessed with 7 children, Larry, Vaughn, Robin, Janice, Penny, Timothy and Donnell(deceased).
Always generous with her time and resources she worked as a parent coordinator/Head Start for Tri-County, an Assembly Processor for Westinghouse in Odenton, MD, shucking clams at Denton’s Oyster House in Broomes Island, MD and drove the school bus for the Board of Education of Calvert County for 47 years.
She loved the Lord, her family and her church family. Throughout her journey she served in many areas in the church. She played the piano and sang with the Brooks Chorus, Utopians, Senior Choir, Youth Choir, the Methodist Men and the United Methodist Women Choirs. She was president of the United Methodist Women for 28 years, Membership Secretary for 34 years, chairperson for the Willing Workers for 18 years, president for the Bull Roast for 14 years. As her faith strengthened she became a Certified Lay Speaker in 1983. She spoke on the first and third Sundays at Brooks for the 9:00a.m. services. Whenever called upon and with God’s help she continued to spread the gospel through word and song throughout the county and was available for funerals, weddings and special events like the N.A.A.C.P. Banquet and Martin Luther King breakfast.
Singing to her was an act of expressing your feelings and expelling all despair from your mind with a tendency of calming all fears giving you a sensation of the nearness to God and your fellow man. She was truly grateful for her gifts from God Almighty who was always so good to her. Some of her favorite hymns were, One Day at a Time, I Don’t Know About Tomorrow, and Gathering Flowers for the Master’s Bouquet. She participated in plays, created 4 volumes of gospel music song books, wrote 5 songs which are copyrighted through the Library of Congress. “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top”, “Let’s Be Good Christians”, “The Day We Go to Heaven”, “Keep on Believing and God will Understand”. Let’s not forget how stylish she was. Thelma Johnson loved to dress from her head to her toe had to match.
Even though “Brooks” was her home, she became an associate member at Bethesda UMC. She played piano for Brooks on the first Sunday of each month, Bethesda the second, third and fifth Sunday and for Carroll-Western UMC every fourth Sunday. Patuxent UMC called her “The Cousin Thelma” of the church. She was busy but thrilled and loved every minute of serving the God she truly loved.
Her motto: If I can help somebody as I travel along the way, then my living shall not be in vain.
She leaves fond and cherished memories to her children, Larry(Janice), Vaughn(Dianette), Robin(William), Janice, Penny(Kim), Timothy(Bernadine) and stepson Gordon(Joan); her sister, Frances McCochran, one sister-in-law, Sandy McCochran; 20 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and one god-daughter, Mone’ke Stevens; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and very close friends too numerous to name.
In addition to her husband McKinley Johnson, son Reginald Donnell Johnson and her parents Mae McCochran(Timothy), Viola Saunders(Joseph) and Johnny Brooks, she was proceeded in death by her sister Lorna Mae (Charles), her brother Timothy, stepdaughters Tema, Peggy, Marie and nephew Timothy.
Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand but I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.
