Joe Walter Johnson

A private family graveside services for Mr. Joe Walter Johnson will be held Saturday, March 21, 2020 at Hebron Baptist Church with Reverend James Ruffin officiating. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements.

Mr. Johnson, age 99, of Meridian, passed away Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at Anderson Regional Medical Center.

This obituary was written by Mr. Johnson in his own words. He was raised on the farm of Walter and Susan Chaney Johnson in Newton County Beat #2, Mississippi. He went to the school along with six siblings and graduated. Their father Walter, served on the school board, during the time construction of the school building around 1930-1931. Susan was a Gold Star Mother. The day the WWII enemy shrapnel from their shell hit the face of her son, Henry, November 25, 1944. Joe was married to Jennie V. McMahan for 66 years. Into their marriage was born two girls, Lexa and Charlotte; both earned college degrees from Mississippi and Texas.

Joe was a WWII D-Day Veteran; “yesterday all alive, today many are not with us. We all hurt, the horror 313 days until victory signed in Europe.”

After the war he was a long haul carrier driver; he did safety work in Mississippi and Alabama. He worked traffic and transportation management, rates and regulations. He retired from Meridian Transit Authority as Director in the mid-1980s. In his retirement he did researched and wrote a family history book.

Survivors include his daughter, Lexa Palmer; grandchildren, Brad Palmer, Amy Bates, Jon Palmer and Lauren Henderson; 5 great-grandchildren; sister, Mazelle Simmons; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jennie V. Johnson; daughter, Charlotte Herrington; siblings, A.C. Johnson, Henry Johnson, Edsel Johnson and Eleanor Chandler.

Family and friends may sign online guestbook at robertbarhamffh.com.