Johnnie Williams

Johnnie Marie (Spivey) Williams was born on October 29, 1937 in Covington, Tennessee to Edd and Ruth Mae (Johnson) Spivey.She was the eldest daughter and the 3rd of eight children.Johnnie professed a Hope in Christ at an early age uniting with the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.She participated in church activities, including Bible class instruction throughout her teen years. She graduated from Lauderdale High School in 1956. She enrolled at Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee; a historically black 2-year liberal arts college with roots dating back to the Civil War.Her stunning beauty was recognized as Owen College Queen in 1957. She graduated in 1958 with an Associates’ Degree in Secretarial Science. She caught the eye and heart of Alfred James Coleman; they were wed in October 1958, and shortly after gave birth to her only child, Alfred Ronald.They setup house in Memphis, Tennessee. Not all relationships have happy endings – Johnnie left Alfred and moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 1964 to stay with her sisters Janice and Martha and restart her life. She began working at Archbishop Bergan Mercy Hospital as an administrative assistant.In March 1968, she was employed by the Omaha Housing Authority (OHA) as a clerk-typist.She quickly moved up the ranks, holding positions as interviewer, tenant selection specialist, manager for two different housing projects, and manager of Sector IV covering several housing projects.Her efforts were recognized in the 4th quarter of 1984 by the Omaha Housing Authority when she received the “OHA Salutes” award. During her highly successful career at OHA, Love came to Johnnie a 2nd time as she met and wed James H. Williams, Jr., World War II veteran, and an established printer and lithographer at Rapid Printing and Lithographers.Their marriage reflected the joy and fulfillment that every marriage strives to achieve.Her marriage to Jimmy expanded her family circle five-fold, bringing Jimmy’s younger sons Marlon and Paul under her roof, and giving Jimmy’s elder sons, Virgil, Terry and Jimmy III a matriarch for this family of men. Johnnie was in her element, entertaining friends, taking opportunities to travel with her husband, and enjoying the best life had to offer.She discovered a love for sports, especially football.And like all true Nebraskans, she was all-Huskers, all the time.She followed her Big Red team along with Jimmy to Hawaii for the Nebraska vs. Hawaii football game in 1982.Although Husker fans had a bit of a scare trailing Hawaii for three quarters, Johnnie and Jimmy took their trip to Paradise in stride, fulfilling her wishes to see the Arizona Memorial, the (now closed) Kodak Hula Show, and visiting her son Alfred Ronald whom was on active duty with the Navy and stationed in Hawaii.She also had a taste for games of chance – slots, the occasional trip to Bluffs Run to see the dogs, and as of late – pulling “pickles” with Christian Brothers brandy and Coke at the VFW Hall. At one point, Johnnie looked for a change of scenery on the employment front, and found it as a dispatcher, then shift supervisor at Greyhound Bus Lines, at their Omaha based reservations center.For 16 years, Johnnie worked at Greyhound making friends and working in a pleasant environment.She found company and camaraderie at the VFW Post 2503 as active member of the Women’s Auxiliary, “the Cooties”.She was active in their cookouts and other social events. For Johnnie, sewing was her lifelong passion. With skill that could rival the most experienced professional seamstress, Johnnie made clothes for herself, her husband Jimmy, and son Alfred Ronald.Her specialty was quilting.It was a lifelong treasure for years to come if you were fortunate enough to be a recipient of a homemade quilt made by Johnnie Williams. Retirement came earlier than expected, as she needed to focus her attention to care for Jimmy as time took away his strength and mobility.Jimmy succumbed to cancer on August 6, 2006. Johnnie carried on as best she could.Her activities and energies were refocused toward her great-nephew Nathan, and a foster “grandchild” Tim-Ron.In October 2016, a stroke took much of Johnnie’s independence.Her son Alfred Ronald, now residing in Hawaii permanently, took his Mom to Hawaii to be closer where he could, with assistance, provide for Johnnie’s day-to-day needs. Johnnie took up residence on the North Shore of Oahu at Oceanside Assisted Living, where her quick wit and matter-of-fact approach to Life made friends of both staff and other residents where “What does Johnnie think of this?”, became a common catch-phrase.Johnnie never gave up her battle to regain her pre-stroke independence, working hard to redevelop the skills that she lost.On the morning of July 15th, 2018, Johnnie was granted the greatest freedom of all – she was called Home by our Lord, her journey on this Earth, complete. She was preceded in death by her parents Edd and Ruth Mae (Johnson) Spivey, brothers Jesse, Emanuel, Joe Eddy, and Howard Spivey, sister Louanna (Spivey) Cohill, and husband, James H. Williams, Jr.She leaves behind to cherish her loving memory, her son Alfred Ronald Coleman, step-sons Paul Kevin Williams, Marlon Williams, and Virgil Johnson, sisters Janice (Spivey) Edwards, Martha (Spivey) Dunkins, and a host of nieces and nephews.Special acknowledgement goes out to the “Cooties”, the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2503 for their camaraderie and the staff and residents of Oceanside Assisted Living in Hauula, Hawaii who brought much needed smiles and company during her final days on Earth. Celebration of Johnnie's Life: Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 11:00am at Braman Mortuary (72 St. Chapel) Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Park Memorials may be sent to: Coleman/Williams Family 300 Wai Nani Way, Apt 2414 Honolulu, HI 96815. Braman Mortuary (72 St. Chapel) 1702 N. 72 ST. Omaha, NE 68114 402-391-2171