Funeral services were held Saturday, March 11, 2023, at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Collins, for Mrs. Geraldine Magee Johnson, 91, who died Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, in Tacoma, Washington.  Rev. Willie V. Magee officiated with interment following in the church cemetery.  Johnson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Geraldine Magee Johnson was born to the late Silas and Alice Magee. She was the seventh of eight children who all preceded  her in death.  She joined Friendship Baptist Church at an early age. She later joined Green Grove Baptist Church where she served as announcement clerk, drama and hospitality committee, member of choir, and Baptist Training Union.

Mrs. Johnson married the late Marcus Johnson in 1950; and to this union eight children were born; Mary Alice, Mary Katherine, Marcus Jr., Marvin, Melvin, Frankie Jean, Cassandra and Joel Demetrius.

She attended Jackson State University and Prentiss Normal and Industrial Institute where she majored in Education.  She began her career as a library assistant at J. E. Johnson Elementary School; she later worked with her husband at Johnson’s Dry Cleaning and Auto and Body Shop. She took great pride in knowing this was the first black owned business on Main Street in Prentiss. After the sale of the business, she helped out at Johnson Funeral Home, serving in various capacities. Later, she would work in the healthcare industry for over 20 years and retired as receptionist at Pearl River Valley Opportunity.

Mrs. Johnson was a member of the Heroines of Jericho for over 40 years and the NAACP for over 20 years.  In 2008, she was recognized by the NAACP as “Mother of the Year.”

She was preceded in death by one daughter, Mary Alice Lewis, one son, Marcus Johnson Jr.; three sisters, Emma Magee, Gertha Magee Thomas and Tenner Jones; four brothers, Emmit, Y. C., T. C. and David Magee.

She is survived by three daughters, Mary K. (Michael) Newbill of Renton, Washington; Frankie Jean (Annette) Johnson of Puyallup, Washington; Cassandra (Darrell) Walker of Orvilla, Texas; three sons, Marvin (Cheryl) Johnson of South Bend, Indiana; Melvin (Kiasha) Johnson and Joel (Jodi) Johnson of Lawrenceville, Georgia; 18 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.