Carole Dawn "MiMi" Johnson

Carole Dawn McCollum Johnson of Ridgeland was born in East McKeesport, PA, on December 1, 1941, the third child of EllenCecelia and W. A. McCollum. The bombs dropping on Pearl Harbor were not the only explosions that week, as Dawn entered the world to live and love passionately whomever she met and wherever she went!

A graduate of Concordia College in Austin, TX, Dawn taught students in Lutheran schools in Dallas before moving to Mississippi in 1973 with the love of her life, Thomas Porter Johnson, whom she married in 1960. When speaking of her move to the heart of the Deepest South, Dawn would explain how she came kicking and screaming but soon fell in love with her new home: "When Tom said Mississippi was his job transfer, my heart sank--but nearly 50 years later, look at the friends I have made and the adventures we had here with our family! I would not trade it for anything! It's a special place.” Her life long friendships with the Lyell and Moore families confirmed what a special place it is.

While raising her daughters in Brandon, Dawn thoroughly enjoyed her career, traveling throughout the state as a Nestle Foods sales rep, a job that earned her the moniker Candy Lady, by the Crossgates neighborhood children who adored her. Both devout Lutherans, Dawn and Tom attended Ascension Lutheran Church and made sure their daughters and grandchildren were raised with a strong faith, truly believing in Dawn’s favorite Psalm: “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.”

A friend recently spoke of Dawn as having “the eye of the tiger” because she was able to survive so much loss over the course of her life without losing her immense joy or the generosity she showed to her family and friends, each of whom she loved with deep devotion and fierce loyalty. Indeed, Dawn was the ultimate survivor. She survived the loss of her own sweet mother before her sixth birthday, an event that grew in her a great love and need to “mother” her younger brother Mike and to become a doting and dutiful “Mimi” to her girls and her grandchildren, each of whom she was crazy about. No one who took a wild ride in her van with its “MIMI TXI” plates could doubt her dedication to her family or her commitment to being involved in her children’s and grandchildren’s daily lives—even the mundane chores of carpool and team practices. She never missed a family celebration or a grandchild’s performance, assuring each that he or she was her “true favorite”!

Dawn was also a beloved “aunt” to her godson Jeffrey, whom she visited in Maui only a few months ago. It was a fitting end to her Great Adventure here on Earth. With her customary excitement and energy she loved to talk about the friends she made in Hawaii and the helicopter ride she took to check out the beautiful sights. Dawn loved to travel with family and friends. The trips she took throughout the South with her brother Mike and sister-in-law Diane were special highlights—together they explored New Orleans before traveling to Houma Plantation. On their way back from spending time in North Carolina, they wound through Tennessee, spending the night in Nashville and attending The Grand Old Opry! However, her favorite trips were those wherein she accompanied her five grandchildren, making priceless memories with family at Disney World.

She survived a triple bypass for 20 years and beat cancer twice! Her final bout with the disease required a miracle according to Dr. Tammy Young, but Dawn was the poster child for miracles and lived six, precious years longer than anyone expected, seeing two of her grandchildren graduate college last year and helping plan her grandson’s upcoming wedding in May. An extraordinary fighter and spirited lady, Dawn would cheer on her fellow cancer patients in treatment by announcing she was wearing her third head of hair—which was a gorgeous silver and certainly not gray! Her son-in-law quipped how “she left it all on the field” with no regrets about pouring out her energy on others, even if it left her exhausted at the end.

Dawn has survived the past decade without her beloved Tom, with whom she lived for 49 wonderful years. One can only imagine the joy they live in now, along with her favorite aunt, Violet McIntosh. On this side of Heaven, however, she will be terribly missed—not only by her family but also by of those she treated like family. Dawn was a gracious and kind lady who was truly interested in whatever anyone had to say. What made her a great friend is what made her a great listener. She absolutely cared about people and went out of her way to sow love, compassion, and comfort. She expressed this beautifully by cooking for and feeding others. More than anything, her family will miss sitting down at her table for her famous roast beef, chicken and dumplings, and “porcupine meatballs.” Dawn loved so many people and used her culinary “language of love” to tell friends how important they were to her—jumping in Mimi’s taxi to deliver that love in the form of her amazing pecan pie if she needed to!

Surely, her family and friends will be hungry for many days to come.

Dawn is survived by her two daughters, Shannon Johnson (James) Warnock and Christina Johnson Lowry, both of Ridgeland; five grandchildren, Loden Blake Porter Snell, Amelia Carole Warnock, James Lamar Warnock III, Elizabeth Ellen Warnock, and Thomas Quinn McClellan Lowry, all of Ridgeland; a sister, Marlene (Reverend William) Naumann and a brother, Michael (Diane) McCollum, both of California; and several nieces, nephews, and godchildren.

Visitation will be held at Parkway Funeral Home on Friday, March 29, from 4-7 pm. On Saturday, March 30, a second visitation will be held from 10-11 am at Ascension Lutheran Church, followed by services in the church at 11. A graveside service will immediately follow at Parkway Memorial Cemetery in Ridgeland. Memorial gifts can be made to Luth Youth at Ascension Lutheran Church or Organization for Autism Research in Virginia.