Nellie Johnson

A funeral service will be held for Nellie Ruth Johnson on May 8, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Wilson Orwosky Chapel with a visitation at 1 p.m. Interment will follow at Smyrna Cemetery in Emory, Texas. Nellie Ruth Johnson, a spirited firecracker of a woman, took her final bow on May 4, 2025, at the age of 84. Born on March 3, 1941, to Cecil Jackson Pounds and Mary Ruth Pounds (Hall), she brought vibrant energy and a feisty personality into the world that lit up every room she entered. With an unwavering sense of humor and a quick wit, Nellie's laughter echoed in the hearts of all those who had the privilege to know her.

For over thirty years, Nell dedicated herself to her career as a switchboard operator, expertly navigating the intricate web of communications before moving on to work at Taylor Publishing. But her life was not solely defined by her professional endeavors; it was her passions and interests that made her truly remarkable.

An accomplished accordion player, she shared her talents within her church. Nell had a soft spot for the simple joys in life, particularly her love for anything sweet and her favorite color, pink. She often found tranquility in her garden, where she tended to her beloved hydrangeas and hibiscus, nurturing every petal. Her hands, worn yet skilled, were as nurturing in the soil as they were in the hearts of her loved ones.

Nell spent a remarkable sixty-one years alongside her devoted husband, Roy. They were married April 30, 1962. Their union was a tapestry woven with love, laughter, and resilience, even enduring through the shadows cast by Roy's heavenly graduation in 2023.

She is survived by her children Mary Renea Thigpen and husband Danny, Roy Wayne Johnson and wife Raquel, Teresa Kay Dunaway and husband Jason; grandchildren, Roderique Courson and Knealy, Kenneth Johnson and Courtney, Jacob Dunaway and Maddie, Brandon Thigpen, Dustin Thigpen, Mia Johnson, Leesa Privee and Kevin, Jamie Dunaway; 12 Great Grandchildren; church family of Faith Temple Assembly of God Dallas, Special friends in Duncanville, brother, Kenneth Wayne Pounds; uncle, Doil Pounds; brother in law, Billy Lomax as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Nell is preceded in death by her loving husband, M. Roy Johnson; son, Kenneth David Johnson; granddaughter, Sarah Michelle Courson; Siblings, Verlene House, Joan Lomax and Anna Kathryn Pounds. 

As we remember Nellie Johnson, we celebrate a life rich with experiences, a heart full of love, and a spirit that refused to dim. Her memory will live on, cherished in the joyful laughter of friends gathered around a bingo table, the harmonious notes of an accordion played in gentle tribute, and the blooming beauty of her cherished garden. To know her was to know love in its most vibrant and joyous form, and she leaves behind a legacy that will forever echo in the hearts of those she touched.