Mrs. Erma L. Johnson Colyer

Erma Lee was born August 7, 1920 at 101 White City Street, Longview, Texas. She was the only child of Hosie Lee Williams (born 1905 Rusk County, TX died 1961 St. Louis, MO) of Smiths Chapel and Johnie Greenwood (b. 1902 Rusk County, TX d. 1975 Dallas, TX) of Tatum. She was adopted by Carter J. “CJ” Johnson (b. 1852 Montgomery, AL d. 1940 Tatum, TX) and his wife, Sarah “Sallie” Grey Johnson (b. 1856 Rusk County, TX d. 1959 Kansas City, MO). Erma was raised in Tatum on the farm with the Johnson’s large family and was always around all of her other relatives. CJ Johnson left an account of his life that is housed in the Library of Congress WPA Former Slave Narratives.

Erma was a member of St. Paul Baptist Church in Tatum where Papa Johnson was a deacon and she became a soloist in the choir. She was educated through high school graduation in Tatum public schools. In high school she played on the girls’ basketball team and travelled around the area competing with other school teams. After high school, she married Erva Lee Vance (b. 1914 Rusk County, TX d. 1981 Chicago, IL), one of her teachers. When he entered military service, Erma briefly lived and worked in Dallas supporting the war effort at an aircraft assembly plant while her husband was in training. She then joined him and travelled with him to Army postings in Greensboro, NC; Sarasota, FL; Ogden, UT; and Chicago, IL where the marriage ended in divorce.

In Chicago she found work as an elevator operator, a hat check girl, a worker in a button factory and with the Majestic Tie Company, where she put the point into men’s’ ties. She even sang once with bluesman McKinley Morganfield, better known as Muddy Waters. She soon met Norris Albert Colyer (b. 1916 Ripley, MS d. 1992 St. Louis, MO) and they eventually moved to St. Louis, MO. Once in St. Louis she joined Galilee Baptist Church, just a short walk from their apartment at 333 N. Boyle Avenue. Albert created a Laundromat in the apartment building’s basement and with the extra money it earned and proceeds from their Husbands and Wives Club they were able to purchase their home at 5511 Maffitt Avenue in 1956. After the move, Erma became an active member of New Northside Baptist Church. When Northside relocated, she and Albert united with Friendly Temple Baptist Church. She remained an active member of Friendly Temple, creating and becoming president of its Mother’s Board, until she moved to Alexandria, VA in 1994 to be near her daughter, Janice. They were briefly members of Arlington’s Mt. Olive Baptist Church and sang together in its Senior Choir. When her daughter moved temporarily to Newport, RI, Erma joined the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria where she remained a faithful member until her death on Saturday, February 27.

For nearly fifteen years Erma truly enjoyed the fun and fellowship of her many friends at the St. Martin De Porres Senior Center in Alexandria, VA where she was recognized almost yearly for volunteering.

Three things were always very important to Erma: her family, her friends and her faith. Thus, Erma lived a rich, full life. Of all of her accomplishments, she was most proud of her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. Two sons, Lawrence Joseph (b. 1948 Chicago, IL d. 1988 St. Louis, MO) and Alan Adrian (b. 1957 St. Louis, MO d. 1992 St. Louis, MO) preceded her in death. She is survived by daughters and loving sons-in-law Lorene & Arthur Hill, St. Louis, MO and Janice & Roscoe D. Crawford, Annandale, VA; grandsons Lawrence Joseph (Roslyn) Colyer Jr., Atlanta, GA; Anthony Steven Watt, Bristow, VA; Robert (LaTundra) Colyer, St. Louis, MO; two special granddaughters Stephanie Crawford Hawkes and Phyllis Crawford, Columbia, MD; a special grandson, Vernon Crawford, Tustin, CA; five great-grandchildren; an aunt, Fannie Greenwood Stokes and her husband, James, of Portland, OR; cousins and best friend Xanthine Whitten Pratt and Winnie Whitten Arnold, Dallas, TX; Luna B. Shaw, Longview, TX; a beloved sister-in-law Hattie Colyer Keenon, Chicago, IL; special nieces Lettie Colyer Reed and Princess Colyer, St. Louis, MO; a special nephew Reverend Arlanders Colyer, Tupelo, MS as well as a host of other nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Erma has left a legacy of love, warmth, caring, laughter, cheerfulness, and generosity. She had style, presence and strength and we will all miss her greatly.