Jerry N. Johnson

Jerry Anne Nelson Johnson (Jerry), 90, of Birmingham, Alabama, passed away on January XX of natural causes. Jerry was born October 13,1933 in Anniston, Alabama. She was a graduate of Anniston High School and Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University. At Auburn she was President of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, was elected a university favorite, and was selected to be a member of Mortar Board honor society. Her daughters and granddaughters who attended Auburn followed in her footsteps, all becoming Alpha Gams. Loving Auburn lasted all of her life.

With a degree in Home Economics and Nutrition, Jerry moved to Birmingham and worked for Alabama Power Company, demonstrating appliances to homemakers until her first child was born. After raising three children, Linda Johnson Stone (Jeff), Beth Johnson (Mary Sievert), and Jim Johnson (Kathleen), she went back to school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and obtained an accounting degree. She was financial secretary for three churches in Birmingham: Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Canterbury United Methodist Church and Highlands United Methodist Church.

Jerry was an avid gardener and truly had a green thumb, which her children wish they had inherited. In fact, she became a master gardener in retirement. Her garden was a source of great joy, and cuttings from it have been planted in gardens across the country. She was also an excellent cook; her recipes spread across the country like her flowers. Her children did inherit her love of cooking, and one of her grandchildren is a Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef.

She loved to play bridge and played regularly with several groups, including a foursome that had been playing together since college. She also kept in touch with her childhood friends in Anniston, and met them for lunch every few months well into her 80’s.

She was gracious, kind and never had a bad word to say about anyone. She was funny without intending to be so. She loved well and was well-loved. For the last 37 years, she has been known as Gran, a devoted grandmother to her five grandchildren, Callie Stone Nash (Wilson), Walton Stone (Kirstin), Molly Stone Curtis (Spencer), Tripp Johnson and Audrey Johnson, and to her six great grandchildren, Ann Harper, Luke and Libby Nash; Hunt, Beau and Hill Stone. She was a fierce cheerleader for her children and grandchildren, and was frequently seen at softball, baseball, and basketball games cheering them on. Her children remember her as the one always in their corner, win or lose, at every sporting, artistic or scholastic event. She made the winning that much sweeter, and the losing more bearable. Her children will readily say she was “practically perfect in every way.”

She is preceded in death by her parents, Audrey Callahan and Olen Thomas Nelson. In addition to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, she is survived by her sister, Jane Nelson Hall (Thom), her niece Heather Gourley (Greg), great nephew Ben Gourley (Sarah) and great niece Ginny Grace

Gourley Cato (Ben).

The family would like to thank everyone at Fairhaven for taking such good care of her. Special appreciation goes to caregivers Sephonia Berry and Tressa Miles, who lovingly cared for her each evening these last few months and stayed with her around the clock the last few days of her life.

On January 22 at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham, visitation will be held at 1 pm in the parlor, with a service at 2 pm in the sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Auburn University Student Success Fund (aucares.auburn.edu), Birmingham Botanical Gardens or to the charity of your choice.