James Luther Johnson was born in Mt. Vernon, Texas on January 17, 1928, to Luther & Nora Johnson. He passed peacefully from this life on Saturday, November 27, 2021, at the age of 93.
James & his family moved to Mt. Pleasant when he was 14 years old. He graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1945. James & June Joyner were married on October 7, 1949. They were married for 72 years. He worked for the American Petrofina Refinery for 8 years & he worked at Lone Star Steel in the chemical lab for 30 years. After retiring, he owned & operated J. J.’s Auto Sales.
James was a long-time member of the Southside Church of Christ. He served as a deacon for 16 years & an elder for 35 years.
James loved to travel. He took trips to Germany & the Holy Lands with his beloved sister, Melita. He also traveled to Italy with other men to encourage the brethren there & to further spread the gospel. He loved to travel across the country with his family & enjoyed many memorable vacations with them.
James is survived by his wife of 72 years, June Johnson; his children, Jerry & Linda Johnson, Rodney & Janet Johnson, Kendall & Debbie Johnson & Angela & Eddie Whitaker. He is also survived by grandchildren, Josh & Kris Johnson, Brent & Allison Johnson, Kasey & Nate Diestelkamp, Jessie & Matt Browning, Justin & Bethany Whitaker, Holly & Eric Opperman, Jared & Kalyn Johnson, as well as 17 great grandchildren & numerous nieces & nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents & his sibling, Elton Johnson, L.C. Johnson, & Melita Rivers. He was also preceded in death by his granddaughter, Hilary Johnson.
A visitation will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Tuesday, November 30, 2021, at the Bates Cooper Sloan Funeral Home. A service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at the Southside Church of Christ with interment to follow in the Mt. Vernon City Cemetery.