Thelma Marie (Johnson) Edmisten

A native of Watauga County, Thelma was born 11 April 1923 a

daughter of Clayton Raleigh (Bill) Johnson and Frankie Elizabeth (Lizzie)

Miller and died peacefully in her sleep at the Foley Center in Blowing

Rock on 13 January 2024.

Thelma was proceeded in death by her parents; her siblings Sgt.

Dewey Johnson, sisters Ethel Johnson Watson Regan, Ora Johnson

St. Clair Griffin and Eula Johnson Laws Griffin. Her husband Lee

Edmisten died in 1972. She was also proceeded in death by her

son- in- law, William B. Brooks and several nieces and nephews.

Surviving is one daughter, Linda E. Brooks of Davidson, North

Carolina. Two grandsons, Michael L. Brooks (Maria) of Cary, North

Carolina and Jason B. Brooks of Concord, North Carolina. She has five

Great grandchildren; Sean W. Brooks, Leah R. Brooks, Madison M. Brooks all

of Cary and Sophia and Stephanie Marks of Gaithersburg, Maryland.

She is also survived by several nieces and two nephews.

Thelma was a proud and hard-working mountain woman who

loved to talk about her time during the early years of war when she and

Lee lived in Akron, Ohio. She could recall many years later the process

for making aircraft tires at the B.F. Goodrich factory. Later she and Lee

were in Coral Gables Florida where he was stationed with the U.S. Army

at Pratt General Hospital. Until the age of 99, Thelma lived

independently at her home in the Rutherwood Community of Watauga

County. She still drove, and loved attending the local senior center and

the Church of Christ where she was one of the original founding

members. She continued canning and freezing vegetables from her

garden and preserving the mountain traditions of quilting, sewing,

crocheting afghans, and making candlewick bedspreads and the fringe

that went on the bedspreads until her mid- nineties. Thelma also

worked as a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn in Boone for many years

and provided in home care for “elderly” clients in the Boone and

Blowing Rock area. At the time she was providing in home care she

herself was well into her seventies! During the winter months Thelma

traveled to Ocala Florida where she made many lifelong friends.

Per Thelma’s wishes, a private graveside service with immediate

family will be held with internment at Mount Lawn Cemetery in Boone.

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