Kayola Johnson

Kayola Joann Johnson was born on February 19, 1936, in Marianna, Florida to the late Willie Gray Jr. and Johnnie Mae Gray. On the morning of June 25, 2025, surrounded by love, she peacefully entered into eternal rest and met her Savior face to face.

Kayola lived a life full of grace, compassion, and faith. She married the love of her life, Augustus Johnson Jr., on June 13, 1954. Together they built a beautiful legacy rooted in family, faith, and community. She was a devoted housewife and mother who took great joy in nurturing her home and raising her children with love and strong values. Her home and her heart were always open.

She worked alongside her husband helping to run Johnson’s Bar and Grill, where she became well known for her infamous BBQ sauce and warm hospitality. Whether feeding a neighbor or a stranger, Kayola's kitchen was a place of comfort, healing, and joy. She truly had a servant’s heart and a gift for making everyone feel like family.

Above all, Kayola loved the Lord. Her faith was not just spoken, it was lived out daily through acts of kindness, encouraging words, and her unwavering trust in God. She embodied Proverbs 3:3 — wearing love and faithfulness around her neck like a necklace and writing God’s word on the tablet of her heart. Her life was a living testimony of God’s goodness.

Kayola was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Augustus Johnson Jr., her sons Victor Johnson, Eric Johnson, and Augustus Johnson III, her sister Annie Yates, and her brother Frank Gray.

She leaves to cherish her memory three loving daughters: Sylvia Mitchell, Dorothy Luster, and Cassandra Marble (Roy); a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends whose lives she touched with her warmth, wisdom, and unwavering love.

Though her earthly journey has ended, the love she gave and the faith she lived will continue to shine brightly through the generations she leaves behind. Her legacy is one of faith, service, and unconditional love.

“Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Lord.” — Matthew 25:23

A visitation for Kayola will be held Monday, June 30, 2025 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 4071 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31907. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Shekinah Glory Worship Center, 5878 Morningside Dr, Columbus, GA 31909. A burial to follow after church service will occur at Parkhill Cemetery, 4161 Macon Rd, Columbus, Georgia 31907.