Sally Bland Johnson

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 14, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Admiral Cato Douglas Glover and Ellen Manning Williams Glover. Bannie was a direct descendent of 6 Governors of South Carolina: James Richardson and John Peter Richardson, David Rogerson Williams, Stephen Decatur Miller, Richard Irving Manning and John Lawrence Manning, the builder of Millford Planation in Pinewood, SC. Bannie was extremely proud and knowledgeable about her family ties to Millford, and enjoyed visiting the Plantation. Bannie’s mother was born at Mulberry Plantation in Camden, SC, which is where Bannie and Charles were married in 1948. Bannie had many fond memories of the times she spent at Mulberry Plantation as a child and young adult.

Bannie was heir, with her sisters and first cousins, to her great-great aunt Mary Boykin Chesnut's papers and her famous Civil War diary, now at the University of South Carolina. The diary, which was edited by C. Van Woodward and published under the title “Mary Chesnut's Civil War,” won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1982.

Bannie was a graduate of Holton-Arms, in Washington, DC, and lived all over the country, having most recently moved to New Jersey from Mt. Pleasant, SC. During World War II, she lived in Paris where her father was the Naval Attaché at the US Embassy. Paris was one of her favorite places. After fleeing France due to the German invasion, her family went to Honolulu where her father was stationed. Once the war ended, her family returned to Washington, DC, where she met her husband.

Bannie was indestructible with a sharp wit and a joie de vivre, who was very proud of her family history and eager to share her knowledge with others. She looked forward to annual traditions. During the summer, she made many quarts of her coveted “Sour Sal’s Green Tomato Pickle,” and her special recipe Firefly iced tea. During the holiday season, she made homemade eggnog (heavy on the bourbon) and delicious bourbon balls for Christmas gifts. Bannie especially enjoyed gardening, Boston Terriers, sunbathing, nature, and dragonflies. Her daily routine consisted of preparing a breakfast of bacon and an English muffin with jam. In the evening, she looked forward to having a glass of her favorite white zinfandel which she referred to as her “5 o’clock fix,” and which we all jokingly referred to as “mouthwash.”

Bannie is survived by her son, Woolsey McAlpine Johnson II and his wife Maral, 2 daughters, Sally Bland Muir and her husband John, Serena Johnson and her husband Mark Murphy, 3 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her 2 sisters, Barbara Douglas Glover Carpenter and Katherine Williams Glover Herbert.

A private graveside service was held at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, CT. Funeral Services were entrusted to D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield, CT. To leave a message for the family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com