Renvah Johnson James

Born on January 28, 1938, in Puckett, Mississippi, Renvah was the daughter of Claude and Gladys Means and the sixth of seven siblings. She attended Puckett High School and in 1956 married Robert Earl Johnson of White Oak, Mississippi. Together they built a life centered on faith, family, and devotion. They welcomed their son, William Robert “Billy Bob” Johnson, in 1957 and their daughter, Angela Maria Johnson, in 1963. She was known as Renvah, “Pete” (a childhood nickname), Aunt Pete, and Momma.

In 1977, the family moved to Baytown, Texas, where their home soon became a gathering place for family and friends. In 1978, Renvah became a grandmother for the first time. It was a role she embraced wholeheartedly and joyfully as “Mammy”, with another alias added to the list. Her home was filled with warmth, laughter, and open doors—a vacation destination where good food and love were served in abundance after a day of crabbing or visiting Astroworld or Galveston. It was also a place of refuge and healing after long days spent in Houston's Medical Center by beloved family members. While hospitals healed the body, open arms, hot meals, and gazebo gatherings bonded families and healed hearts.

Renvah obtained her Texas Realtors License after arriving in Baytown. While family was her passion, she took great pride and joy in her work as a realtor. New clients became new friends as she worked tirelessly to match them with the perfect home that many are still living in today. She enjoyed people and excelled in her profession.

Renvah’s presence was unmistakable. The rhythm of her life included the familiar sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen, cabinet doors clapping, laughter following a not so occasional broken dish, and her ability to keep going with determination and humor. She found joy in caring for others and never worried about perfection—only that everyone felt welcome and well fed.

She loved sharing stories of her childhood, reminding us that creativity and determination could turn the simplest things into something meaningful. She spoke of making dolls from bricks and cars from rocks and sticks, teaching by example that where there is a will, there is always a way. That same spirit led her to transform her backyard—hauling river rocks, and endless bags of potting soil, mulch and plants in the trunk of her Lexus—into a peaceful gathering place for children, grandchildren, family, and friends. It became, just like her home, a place of togetherness and love.

In 2010, after 54 years of marriage, Renvah’s life changed with the passing of Robert Earl, our “Gramps”. She later returned to Puckett, Mississippi, to be closer to Robert’s resting place and the warm embrace of siblings, cousins and life long friends. In 2011, she married Bracy James and together they shared a decade of companionship, faith, travel, and fellowship at Puckett Baptist Church. Following Bracy’s passing in 2021, Renvah moved to Conway, Arkansas, where she spent her remaining years surrounded by the devoted care and love of her daughter, Angela.

Renvah’s life was defined by love, resilience, and a steady strength that carried her through seasons of joy and loss. While her absence leaves a deafening silence, we will fill it with her name, stories, adventures, and passed down wisdom while doing what she taught us to do…making more memories.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Robert Earl Johnson and Bracy James; her parents, Claude and Gladys Means; her siblings John Means, James Means, Betty Myers, Helen Howell, Merle McGee, and Dwyn Means; her great-grandson Caleb Daniel Green; and beloved members of the Johnson family.

She is survived by her son, William Robert “Billy Bob” Johnson and wife Jeanne of Baytown, Texas; her daughter, Angela Maria Johnson of Conway, Arkansas; her grandchildren, Lehla Benavides and husband John, Taylor Danielle Johnson, and Mary Kate Brown and husband Kendall; and her great-grandchildren Robert Blake Green, Emily Grace Green, John Benavides III, Zaida Benavides, Remi Kate Brown, and Pierce Dwayne Brown. She is also survived by brother-in-law, Dwight Johnson and wife Mary, and beloved confidante and sister-in-law, Shirley Johnson Parker and husband Gene in addition to a generation of nieces and nephews all of which she called her own and loved dearly.

Visitation will be held from 5:00pm until 8:00pm, Friday, January 9, 2026, at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Funeral services are 1:00pm, Saturday, January 10, 2026, in the funeral home chapel with interment to follow at Floral Hills Memory Gardens.

Renvah will be remembered for her open heart, her steady care, and the unmistakable feeling of home she gave so freely to everyone she loved.