Alma Jewell (Cheatham) Johnson, age 96, peacefully departed this life at her home in Pulaski, Tennessee, on Sunday, October 26, 2025. Born on June 23, 1929, in Giles County, Tennessee, she was the beloved daughter of the late Eldridge (Golden) Cheatham and Veola (Douglass) Cheatham.
Alma was united in holy matrimony to the late James Johnson, and together they built a loving home filled with faith, family, and laughter. She was the devoted mother of Charlie Johnson, Darlene Coleman (Nathaniel), Kenneth Johnson (Marilyn), Wallace Johnson (Sheila), and Jewel McCoy, and the late L.C. Johnson, John Johnson, James Edward Johnson, Cleathur Johnson, and Theathur Johnson.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and several siblings, including Bracey Cheatham, Everleaner Braden, C.B. Cheatham, Maeola Johnson, Edward Cheatham, Andrew Cheatham, Rosie Cheatham, and Oliver Cheatham. She is survived by her sisters Mildred Lisby and Clara Lancaster, who continue to cherish her memory.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2025 from 11:00am to 12:00pm at Bennett-May & Pierce Funeral Home and Crematory.
The funeral service will follow at 12:00pm in the chapel of Bennett-May & Pierce Funeral Home and Crematory.
The burial will be in Goodspring Cemetery.
Alma’s faith in God was the cornerstone of her life. For many years, she served faithfully as a member of the Mother’s Board at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, later worshiping with Life of Victory International Ministries. She believed in the power of prayer, the strength of community, and the importance of serving others. Her compassion often found expression in acts of quiet service — making sure no one in her reach went hungry, comforting those in need, and modeling Christian love through her deeds.
Professionally and personally, Alma shared her gift of cooking with many. Whether preparing Sunday dinners, new recipes she’d dreamed up, or meals for others in need, her kitchen was a place of warmth and welcome. She also enjoyed a good game of checkers, where her family will fondly remember her playful competitiveness and “crafty” moves that often caught them by surprise.
Alma adored her family deeply — her children, her twelve grandchildren, and her many great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren — each of whom brought her immense joy and pride throughout her life.
A woman of deep faith, steady wisdom, and abiding love, Alma Jewel Johnson lived a life that reflected the words of Proverbs 31:26 “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Though her earthly journey has ended, her legacy of faith, family, and service lives on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.
