BILLY EARL JOHNSON

BILLY EARL JOHNSON, a resident of Olive Branch, Mississippi and a United States Veteran with extended family members in Fayette and Shelby Counties died at 5 A.M. Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis where he had been a patient for ten days. He was 65 years of age and died following an extended illness.

Funeral services with Military Honors were conducted for Mr. Johnson at 1:30 P.M. Friday, August 21st at the graveside with Rev. James Vinson, Pastor of the Open Door Tabernacle Church in Arlington, Tennessee, officiating. Interment followed in the West Tennessee Veteran's Cemetery on Forest-Hill Irene Road near Germantown. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes-West Chapel of Oakland.

Mr. Johnson was born in the Twist Community of Cross County, Arkansas the son of the late Joel Earl Johnson and the late Marian Eunice Hopper Johnson.

He was educated in the Arkansas and Tennessee Public School System and served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam period.

Mr. Johnson was a resident of the Memphis and West Tennessee areas for much of his life and was a Christian.

He will be remembered as a free-spirited person who enjoyed the friendship of many.

His adventuresome lifestyle lead him to diversified occupations that included riverboats on the Mississippi river, taxi cab operator and wrecker and tow service operator.

He was also a writer of songs and poetry and in past years was a tour bus operator for area music groups.

Survivors of Mr. Johnson include two daughters, Shea Drummond of Jonesboro, AR and Lois Johnson of Lepanto, AR; six sisters: Joyce Sherrill and Helen Cameron, both of Memphis; Shirley Rieben of Olive Branch, MS; Bettye Darnell of Carrollton, TX; Brenda Stephens of Olive Branch, MS and Vickie Engebretson of Byhalia, MS and two grandchildren.

Military personnel served as casket bearers, and the family requests that memorials be directed to church, charity or organization of the donor's choice.