DENOTRA JOHNSON

Denotra Johnson was born January 21, 1942, in Elaine, Arkansas, to Willie Mitchell and Rebecca Gurley. She received Christ at an early age at St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church in Elaine, Arkansas.

Denotra later moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1961, where she began working at Alden Catalogue as a Supervisor of outgoing orders. While at this job, she met her oldest and dearest friend, Vasteen Jones. In 1971, Denotra decided to get her cosmetology license and began her career as a beautician. She became the owner/operator of DD’s Beauty Shop, where she worked for over 50 years. Because of her faith and love of Christ, she joined New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church on June 3, 1979, where she faithfully served on the usher board until she became ill.

In 1958, she met the love of her life, Terry Johnson. They fell in love and married on November 7, 1964. To this union, one child was born, Kimberly Johnson. She also gained a loving daughter through this union: Carrie Johnson. She was a wonderful daughter to Denotra.

Denotra passed from this life to her eternal home on May 19, 2026, at 9:12 a.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is preceded in death by her mother, Rebecca Gurley; father, Willie Mitchell; two brothers, Dorsey L. Jimerson and Robert Gurley, Jr.; one brother-in-law, Tommy L. Hunt, Sr., and two sisters, Eulia Wimbley and Kattie Corbin.

She leaves to cherish her memory, her husband of 61 years Terry F. Johnson, two loving daughters Kimberly (Lester) Hudson of Peoria, Illinois, Carrie (Michael) Howard of Glenwood, Illinois; four sisters: Gloriesteen (Jessie) Perry-Ellebb of Chicago, Illinois, Charlene (Gerald) Dow of Menlo Park, California, Ruth Jackson of Sacramento, California, Adah Mitchell Menlo Park, California, one brother Matthew (Latana) Mitchell of East Palo, California: one brother-in- law Alvin Wimbley of Memphis, Tennessee, five grandchildren: Christopher J. Howard of Lincoln, Nebraska, Jeffery M. (Molly) Howard of Chicago, Illinois, Lester D. Hudson, II of Lauderhill, Florida, Ashley N. Hudson of Pendleton, Indiana, and Lena Howard of Chicago, Illinois; 1 great-granddaughter, Sahana Howard of Chicago, Illinois: three sister-in-law: Eula Staples of Glenwood, Illinois, Ever Jean (Calvin) Fraizer of Chicago, Illinois, and Martha Hunt of West Helena, Arkansas, and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

We would also like to thank the following people: Janice Dean, Tyrone Dean, Don Horton, Dorothy Loyd, Faye Bates, Byron Smith, Gregory Doss, Randy Doss, and Virginia Foster for always being there when called.

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