Ernestine Mae Johnson

Ernestine Mae Johnson, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, died on September 15, 2026 at the age of 88 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Born in Hillerman, Illinois, to Grayson and Alta Mae (Sexton) Oliver, she grew up in Massac County, IL and graduated from Joppa High School in 1955.

Ernestine Mae Oliver married Leland Ross Johnson on August 3, 1957, and after having their first child, Angela, in Paducah, Kentucky, and their second child, Carmen, in Murray, Kentucky, they made their home in Nashville, Tennessee where they had two more children, Jenny and Leland II “Buddy”. Leland was a historian and Ernestine was a homemaker and volunteer for Meals on Wheels in Hermitage and Donelson. In 1991, the Johnsons moved to Westmoreland, Tennessee, where Ernestine volunteered at the Friday Meals Program.

Ernestine was known for her fierce love of family and her especially kind and generous nature. She was skilled at making those around her feel welcome and loved, and she was helpful and giving to anyone she met. Ernestine enjoyed her front porch, southern gospel music, bluegrass music, and traveling with her family. A resourceful bargain hunter, Ernestine loved yard sales and thrift stores. Her peanut butter fudge and pie crusts were known as the best in the world. Ernestine was a fan of jigsaw puzzles, checkers, and Scrabble, Samoa cookies, cobblers, and early morning chats. She was an active churchgoer, including at Hermitage Hills Baptist Church and later, at Andrew Price, Westmoreland and Bethpage UMCs. Recently, she loved attending CrossRoads Church in Westmoreland.

Ernestine is survived by her children Angela Price, Carmen Horne and husband, Bob, Jennifer “Jenny” Johnson, and Leland “Buddy” Johnson, II, grandchildren Sandy, Brad, Lauren, Shelly, and Paisley “Ivy”, great-grandchildren Londyn, Finley, and Raelynn Mae, brother Lindell Oliver, sister Evelyn (Oliver) Tanner, sister-in-law, Julia Johnson, son-in-law Michael Darrell, and several nieces and nephews.

Ernestine was preceded in death by her husband Leland Ross Johnson, parents Grayson and Alta Mae (Sexton) Oliver, sister Christine (Oliver) Damron and husband Charles, brothers-in-law Clifford Johnson Jr., Joe Johnson and wife, Sharon, and Bill Tanner, sisters-in-law Phyllis (Oliver) Benton and Cindy Oliver, son-in-law Steve Price, nephew Allan Damron, and nieces Bonnie Damron, Shari Lane and Sheri Scutt.

Graveside service will be Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 11:00 am at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1515 Pleasant Grove Rd., Westmoreland, TN 37186, followed by meal at Cathy’s Country Cupboard, 5511 Austin Peay Hwy., Westmoreland, TN 37186.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial contributions be made to Friday Meals Program, 1284 Smiley Troutt Rd., Bethpage, TN 37022.