Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 10-13-17

Local
Progress Village Pioneer Celebrates 96th Birthday
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Saturday, October 14th, Mr. Emanuel P. Johnson will celebrate his 96th birthday. When asked about his plans for his birth- day, Mr. Johnson said, “My birthday is just another day. I’ll be sitting around waiting on Sunday.”
However, his church members at Keeney Chapel United Methodist Church ses the event as more than “just another day.” They plan to pick him up after church and host a birthday celebration.
Mr. Johnson said of his name, “There are a lot of “Emanuel Johnsons,” but there is only one “Emanuel Purdee John- son.” And that statement applies to more than just his name.
A native of Marianna, Florida, Mr. Johnson graduated from Gilmore Academy in Jackson County. He was drafted in 1942 and is a veteran of World War II, having served in Germany. He was discharged in 1945, after serving his country honorably. Mr. Johnson returned to Marianna, where he worked for a few years.
Mr. Johnson moved to Hillsborough County and married Mrs. Ruby John- son in August 1950. They became parents of 5 sons
Johnson retired from the DeVoe Paint Company after 46 years of service.
In March 2016, the
Emanuel P. Johnson Progress Village Com- munity Center and Gymnasium was dedi- cated during a ceremony. At the time he said, “I’m glad to get my flowers while I’m liv- ing.”
When discussing his age, he said, “At my age, you lose
a little bit of eyesight, a little bit of hearing, and a little bit of your mind. But, I still have a little left.”
He further said, “I eat everything, but I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, and your reputa- tion is the only thing that goes to the grave with you.”
And, he never ends a conversation with goodbye. He simply says, “Pleasant words.” (Proverbs 16-24).
Mrs. Sarah Purdee Spires, 107, of Marianna, is shown with her nephew, Emanuel P. Johnson, who will celebrate his 96th birthday on Saturday, October 14th.
Meeting
Middleton High Class Of 1966
Members of the Middleton High Class of 1966 are asked to attend a very important meeting on Saturday, October 14, 2017, 1 p. m. The meeting will be held at the Open Café, 3222 N. 34th St.
and 3 daughters.
His wife died in August
1980 and he never remar- ried. “There will never be an- other Ruby,” he said.
Becoming A Pioneer
He recalls when con- struction began on the Progress Village subdivision, a subdivision earmarked for Blacks in southern Hillsbor- ough County in 1959.
The Johnsons and their 3 children were among the first 7 families to move into the subdivision. “I paid a $250.00 down payment, and a mortgage of $56 per month for 40 years,” he said.
Once he moved into the area, Mr. Johnson, along with 4 others, took out a loan to create the establish- ment of the Progress Village Civic Council. He and 14 others were also responsible
for building Harris Temple United Methodist Church, the first church in the subdi- vision. It opened in 1964 and remained in existence until 2012.
He dedicated many hours to helping establish the new community. But, it was not for notoriety. “All I ever wanted was a car, a job, a house, and a family, and that is just what I got.”
Known as the “Honorary Mayor Of Progress Village,” Mr. Johnson has volumes of history about Progress Village and about his home- town. He stays connected through his aunt, Mrs. Sarah Purdee Spires, who celebrated her 107th birthday in April.
Initially, he couldn’t find work, but he never gave up. “Patience is the companion of wisdom.” In 1996, Mr.
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