Mrs. Rosie Lee Johnson Dillon

On February 13, 1928, on an 80-acre farm in Brandon, MS, Rosie Lee Johnson was born. Her parents, Willie and Mary Hoard Johnson, already had four other children (Mary Ellen, Willie Jr., George Albert, Hattic Lee), and, as you would expect, she was nick-named "Baby!" One year after her birth, Baby's mother passed away, but her grandparents filled the void, lavishing on her all the love and encouragement any little girl could want. As a child, she joined Taylorsville United Methodist Church and was educated in the Taylorsville community. After her father remarried, she gained two additional brothers, Leon and Arthur Johnson. All of her siblings preceded her in death. After completing the 8th grade in Rankin County, she attended Holy Ghost Catholic School in Jackson where she graduated in 1947 with honors. She had wanted to go to college to become a math teacher, but the money was not to be found. Instead, she did something better: one month after graduation, on June 22, 1947, she married a tall, dark, handsome, recently-discharged Army veteran from Magnolia, MS, Anglon Dillon. They settled in the Pearson Community and joined Sweet Rest Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. People often said that he was a husband of husbands, which was true. However, when the Bible says, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing," it applied to Rosie Lee. Anglon didn't just find a wife; he found a WIFE. The two were true partners in life. He was the head of the house, but she ran the home. When he opened Dillon's Auto Repair Service, he did the labor, but she managed the finances. They were blissfully married for 43 years until his death, on July 18, 1990. She was a great cook and "breaking bread together" with family and friends was a frequent occurrence in her home, and she was not fearful of entertaining strangers. On any given day, strangers were brought to her home by her husband or son to enjoy a home cooked meal. Their eleven children came fast, one right after the other. As one can imagine, the Dillon home was a noisy, lively place, full of laughter and love. Together, Anglon and Rosie Lee reared their children with Christian values, but Rosie poured herself into each of them. One son, Allen Leon, born Oct. 22, 1960, preceded them in death on March 10, 1961. She was her children's first teacher and, she instilled a love of learning in each of them. Although she had a house full of children, she took the time to build unique bonds with each of them. She was proud of her children, and they were proud to call her Mom. After God and family, her next priority was the Church. Sister Dillon served God and his people faithfully and often quietly. As a deaconess at Sweet Rest, she prepared the Lord's Supper for Communion for many years and ministered to the sick and shut-in by providing meals and words of comfort and encouragement. After her husband had been called to preach, he pastored three churches, and she supported him at each. She freely shared spiritual guidance and wisdom with many. She also served in Sunday School, women's ministry, but most importantly, she was a prayer warrior. She prayed for her family and church family without ceasing: In 2019, she received the status of Deaconess Emerita. She leaves to cherish her memory ten (10) children, Carolyn Crum (Earl) of Southfield, MI; Rae Dillon of Pearl, MS; Cheryl Bibb (Jerry) of Pearl, MS; Charles Dillon of Pearl, MS; Alice Snow (Larry) of Byram, MS; Easter Dillon of Pearl, MS; Willie Dillon (Judy) of Brandon, MS; Brenda Taylor (David) of Austell, GA; Denese Sutton (Ricky) of Brandon, MS, and Sylvia Beck of Douglasville, GA; twenty (20) grandchildren, twenty-eight (28) great-grandchildren, three sisters-in-law, Dolly Johnson of Brandon, MS, Gloria Jackson of St. Louis, MO, and Ethel Wilson of Centralia, IL, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and the many children she kept in her home who call her "Grandmama."

Mrs. Rosie Lee Johnson Dillon

February 13, 1928 - July 16, 2024