Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-21-22

Popular Senior Citizen Celebrates 101st Birthday
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last Friday was a very special day for one Progress Village resident. That is the day Mr. Emanuel Purdee Johnson celebrated his 101st birthday.
Mr. Johnson attributes his longevity to his praying “to the Lord, God, and Jesus Christ every day. I also believe that your health is the great- est wealth in one’s life. You have got to take care of your- self.”
He also said there are two things that make any occasion festive, and that is family and friends.
During his 101 years, Mr. Johnson has observed many changes take place, ranging from Civil Rights to Voter’s Rights. He was drafted into
the U. S. Army in 1942, which makes him one of the few sur- viving World War II veterans. When the war ended in 1945, he was stationed in Hamburg, Germany, and was discharged in 1947.
Mr. Johnson later moved to Tampa and his fam- ily became one of the first families to move into the newly developed Progress Vil- lage Subdivision. He and his wife, the late Mrs. Ruby Johnson, raised their 5 sons and 3 daughters in Progress Village.
He retired from DeVoe Paint Company in 1996, after 46 years of service.
Mr. Johnson has been the recipient of numerous awards, proclamations, and honors. In June 2015, he was among more than 80 veterans in the Tampa Bay Area who
EMANUEL P. JOHNSON ... Celebrated his 101st Birth- day on October 14th
flew to Washington, D. C. to tour the Memorials.
In February 2016, U. S.
Congresswoman Kathy Castor included Mr. John- son in her Veterans History Project. His story is now me- morialized in the U. S. Library of Congress as a Veteran of
World War II.
Hillsborough County
Board of Commissioners ded- icated the constructed com- munity center and gymnasium in Progress Vil- lage in his honor. The Emanuel P. Johnson Recre- ation Center is located at 5855 S. 78th St. The grand opening was held on March 26, 2016.
It shares 120 acres with the Larry Sanders Progress Village Sports Complex. The Sports Complex is complete with batting cages, four base- ball fields, and two football fields.
A native of Marianna, Florida, Mr. Johnson is the patriarch of his family. His aunt, the family matriarch, Mrs. Sarah Purdue, died at the age of 111 on January 10, 2022.
Mr. Johnson is a living
source of history. During his lifetime, although a child, he lived through the Great De- pression, and countless reces- sions; the election of 18 men to serve as President of the United States, including the election of President Barack Obama, the first African American to hold the office.
Mr. Johnson votes by mail, but encourages every- one to exercise his or her right to vote.
“I think that everyone who can, should vote because it’s the only way this country will get back to normal,” he said.
Having survived COVID- 19, Mr. Johnson is a posi- tive individual who is always smiling and willing to share his knowledge. But, said, you will never hear me say good- bye. I say, ‘Pleasant words.’”
Feature
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