Mary Ellis Johnson

Published 2:42 pm Friday, May 11, 2018

Mary Ellis Wilkes Johnson, age 75, of Pascagoula, Mississippi died on May 9, 2018 in Covington, LA following an extended illness.
Mary Ellis was born on July 14, 1942, the youngest daughter of Mary Belle Wilkes Tate Campbell and Henry Clay Wilkes, Sr. She grew up in West, Miss., and married her husband of 46 years, Wilfred Ronald “Ronnie” Johnson on August 6, 1961 at the age of nineteen. She and Ronnie ventured to Starkville together where they both completed their college education, obtaining degrees at Mississippi State University. Following graduation, they lived briefly in Huntsville, Ala., where their only daughter Julie was born and later they relocated to Pascagoula, Miss., where they resided for over 46 years. In October 2017, they moved to Abita Springs, La., to be near Julie and her family.
Mary Ellis was a committed Christian and loved the Lord. She was a devoted homemaker who cherished time with family and friends, especially her beloved grandchildren Hayes, Mary Margaret and Owen. She loved cooking, watching golf and football and always enjoyed cheering on her Mississippi State Bulldogs.
She is survived by her husband Wilfred Ronald Johnson, her daughter Julia Elizabeth Johnson Hayden, son-in-law Horace Adna “Hap” Hayden III and three grandchildren Horace Adna “Hayes” Hayden IV, Mary Margaret Hayden, and Wilfred Owen Hayden, all of Abita Springs, La. She leaves behind two sisters Fenton Jeanette Richey of Nashville, Margaret Elizabeth Wilkes of Gulfport and one brother, Henry Clay Wilkes, Jr. and (Sue) of Columbus, Miss., and brother-in-law Stephen Derek Johnson (Judy) of Byram, Miss., and numerous beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Belle and Henry Clay Wilkes, Sr. of West, Miss., and her in-laws Wilfred Riley “Deck” Johnson and Dorothy Wigley Johnson of Possumneck, Miss.
Visitation will be held at the West Baptist Church on Monday, May 14, 2018 at 1 p.m. and services will begin at 2 p.m. with Reverend Jerry Tate officiating. Interment will follow at Mizpah Cemetery in Durant, Miss. Pallbearers will be grandsons Hayes Hayden and Owen Hayden, brother-in-law Derek Johnson and nephews Eddy Richey, Steve Wilkes, Jason Stein, and Philip Molteni.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the West Baptist Church in West, Miss.
Poole-Ritchie Funeral Home in Bogalusa, La and Southern Funeral Home in Lexington, Miss. are both handling her arrangements.
To view and sign her guest books, please visit pooleritchiefuneralhome.com and also southernfuneralhomes.com.