Rhetta Crew Johnson
Published 8:14 pm Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Rhetta Crew Johnson, 85, of Lawrenceville, Georgia and formerly of Enterprise, Alabama, passed away on June 6, 2019. Rhetta was born on November 5, 1933 – one of ten children born to the late Reverend John Alexander and Retta McCall Crew. As the daughter of a Methodist minister, she traveled with her father to his churches in Alabama and northwest Florida and played piano for the worship services.
Rhetta received her B.S. and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education from Troy State Teacher’s College (now known as Troy University.) Her first teaching assignments were in Montgomery and Troy. She taught at Holly Hill Elementary School from 1970-1980 and College Street Elementary School from 1980-1995. She retired after forty years of teaching. She helped establish the Gamma Gamma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International in Pike County. After moving to Enterprise, she transferred her membership to Delta Kappa Gamma’s Psi Chapter in Coffee County. When that chapter became too large, Rhetta became a charter member of Coffee County’s second Delta Kappa Gamma Chapter, Delta Alpha.
Rhetta was a faithful member of St. Luke United Methodist Church from 1970-1996 where she played the organ. She joined First Baptist Church of Enterprise in 1996. There she taught the Compassionate Friends Sunday School Class until she moved to Georgia in 2014 to be near her family.
Rhetta was active in Keenagers, Red Hat Society, Coffee County Retired Teachers Association, and the Enterprise Study Club. She had the rare ability to look at the world with fresh eyes and always see the good in people. She was energetic and never wanted to miss out on anything. Being creative, she especially enjoyed playing piano, calligraphy, writing poetry, and coloring. Although most knew her as Rhetta, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren called her Mammaw. She had a special relationship with each of them and played with them like no one was watching. She always put them first and never failed to let them know how proud she was of them. She loved life and never allowed her illness to rob her of her joy.
Rhetta is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Jeff Crumpler, Lawrenceville, GA; her grandchildren: Molly and Samuel Romero, Dacula, GA; Sam and Britt Crumpler, Marietta, GA; four great-grandchildren: Isaac Romero, Elijah Romero, Benjamin Romero, and Abigail Romero. She is also survived by one sister: Bena Mae Jeffcoat, Camden, AL; and sisters-in-law: Ann Crew, Montgomery, AL; Sherrill Crew, Jackson, AL; and Betty Johnson, Enterprise, AL, as well as many dearly loved nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Oscar Howard Johnson (1953-1986) and John Coley Johnson (1996-2003.)
Funeral services will be 2:00pm on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at First Baptist Church in Enterprise with Dr. Ben Bowden, Rev. Sonny Moore, and Rev. Darrell McGinnis officiating. Burial will follow at Meadowlawn Cemetery with Sorrells Funeral Home directing.
The family will receive friends at First Baptist Church Saturday from 12:30pm until time for the service to begin.
The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to First Baptist Church Children’s Ministry, 302 North Main Street, Enterprise, Alabama 36330.