Johnnie Thornton Wilson

June 11, 1931 - February 27, 2020

Johnnie Louise Wilson, 88, passed away February 27, 2020 at her residence. Visitation will be 10am-12pm Saturday at Stringer Family Funeral Services in Crystal Springs. Graveside services will be 12pm Saturday at Crystal Springs Cemetery. Johnnie was born on June 11, 1931 in McComb, Mississippi to the late John H. Thornton and Lillie Hart Thornton. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Harlan Wayne Thornton who went to be with the Lord on February 15, 2020. Survivors include her husband of 69 years, Edgar Ray Wilson, daughters Patricia Wilson McFarland (Mark) of Meadville, MS; Deborah Wilson Norwood (Robert) of Hazlehurst, MS; Elizabeth Wilson Rials of Crystal Springs, MS; Connie Rhea Wilson of Crystal Springs, MS; and Lisa Wilson May (Gary) of Crystal Springs, MS, 11 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren and 1 brand new great-great grandchild; and her brother Odis Willard (Sam) Thornton of Brantley, Alabama. Johnnie lived a full life where she made an enormous impact on many people-young and old. She began playing softball for the Crystal Springs Shirt Factory and from then on, she began coaching her girls, their friends and other young girls from Crystal Springs with many sponsors from Crystal Springs. She coached the First Baptist Church women’s softball team where she and her family were members, and that women’s team brought home the State Championship Church trophy and presented it to Brother Mason. There was nothing more that she loved than the girls who she coached and the sport where she excelled in pitching. In softball, Johnnie traveled all over the United States playing in tournaments, including later in life the Sr. Olympics where she played with Mississippi teams as well as Louisiana teams. After softball, Johnnie never let “moss settle under her feet”. She began playing volleyball, pickleball, and then at the age of 72 she began playing tennis – which was her second loved sport behind softball. She met many life-long friends from tennis and she loved the game and the comradery that tennis brought. Although Johnnie was an avid sports fanatic, she also loved her family deeply. She loved her husband and her five daughters fiercely and they were always her number one concern. While her daughters were THE most important in her life, her daughter’s grandchildren & great-grandchildren were also her strength and her source of love and compassion later in life. 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.