Mary Ellen Johnson's Obituary
Mary Ellen Johnson, born October 23, 1939, in Jasper AR, the daughter of Otis Carl Eubanks and Lois Maude Cunningham Eubanks. She had two siblings, Kay Griffin (deceased) and Larry Dale Eubanks. Mary Ellen passed from this life and into the hands of God on August 18, 2025. She is preceded in death by her husband, Marion Leroy Johnson, and leaves behind four children, Benjamin Carl Johnson, Ronald Wayne Johnson, Anthony Leroy Johnson and Mary Renee Johnson, along with 10 grandchildren,13 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Mary Ellen was a devoted wife and loving mother, a good friend to many, “mom” to many who knew her and unwavering in her faith.
She was an accomplished author, having printed several books, having written a recurring column for the local newspaper and authoring countless short stories. She also was an avid genealogist and family historian. She was active member with the Arkansas Council of the Blind and founder of the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America, dedicated to preserving this little-known part of American history, a period when over 200,000 children were relocated across the country. (1884-1929). Through OTHSA she hosted reunions in multiple states and was able to reunite siblings, some of whom did not know the other existed, decades after they were separated.
She will be missed by those who loved her, and all who met her, loved her.
We had a wonderful mother,
One who never really grew old;
Her smile was made of sunshine,
And her heart was solid gold;
Her eyes were as bright as shining stars,
And in her cheeks fair roses you see.
We had a wonderful mother,
And that's the way it will always be.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, September 7, at Stuckey Cemetery.
What’s your fondest memory of Mary?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mary?
Share a story where Mary's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mary you’ll never forget.
How did Mary make you smile?
