Margie M Johnson

Margie Muncy Johnson broke free from her earthly shell in the early hours of Monday, February 24, 2026, after a short, but largely peaceful, hospital visit for an acute health episode.  Even in her final hours, the integral qualities she is known for in our family were on display: resilience, gentleness, peace, and faith. Margie wasn’t an imposing figure physically—she was shorter than 5 feet tall and weighed around 100 pounds—but she was the strongest person in our family in many ways. She had a simple but profound trust in the Lord which had been passed down to her through a family heritage of faith in Christ; her trust in God’s sovereignty and her obedience to His call led her to love family and friends in ways that were largely unparalleled elsewhere in their lives. She loved well. That steady presence of love found its beginning in the home of Lonnie Theodore Muncy and his wife Mittie. Margie was born on April 13, 1925, in south Ballinger, TX.

She grew up on a Ballinger farm, sprawling with life. The property was bordered by the Colorado River where, as a child, Margie would swim with her siblings, have picnics, and watch baptisms of believers from her family. The farm included milking cows, chickens, farming fields, a fruit orchard, and plenty of opportunities for manual labor to go around. Her mother, Mittie, was in the kitchen most days, cooking for the many people who worked on the farm; practically everything the family ate was from scratch. Margie credits the formation of faith for her and her siblings with the way her mother loved them. Mittie worked hard, but she would often make time to spend with her children in the evenings, telling them fanciful stories she thought up, but also instilling in them a love for God and His word. Margie’s two brothers both became pastors, and she always referred to her mother as a primary influence in all their spiritual lives. Those of us grieving Margie today feel much the same about her influence on us.

Margie entered Ballinger High School during World War II. After finishing high school in 1943, Margie took a job with Walker Smith Wholesale Company in Ballinger as a bookkeeper. A year later, she was transferred to work in their Stamford, TX, branch after losing a fateful coin toss. Margie had never lived anywhere but Ballinger, so this was a big transition for her. While in Stamford, she and Harold Eugene Johnson were introduced after church one Sunday; he was on furlough from the Air Force before deploying to England. After Harold completed his service and returned to Stamford, the two began dating. They were married in June of 1949. Harold truly was the love of her life.

Margie and Harold moved to College Station where Harold completed Petroleum and Geological Engineering Degrees at A&M College of Texas. Their marriage produced two prized children, Tim and Cheryl, in the years after his graduation. The couple eventually moved to Midland, TX, when Harold started work there in 1964. 8MM films of the family during this time depict interactions with their many pets of all species, time together on vacations and holidays, camping in Big Bend, the marriages of their children and the births of their grandchildren. Margie was a steady smiling presence in every film.

The family joined First Baptist Church of Midland in the mid-1960s, and became very involved members. In 2015, Margie was honored by First Baptist for 50 consecutive years of service in the elementary Sunday School department. Mobility issues in the last decade eventually caused Margie to step down from volunteering and attending church in-person, but she would still watch Sunday services on television.

During their time in Abilene and Midland, Margie began working on a teaching degree through in-person and correspondence courses with McMurry University, Odessa College, and Sul Ross University. She completed this coursework in the summer of 1972 and graduated from Sul Ross University with a degree in Education. She then commuted for work at Garden City Elementary School in Garden City, TX, as a second-grade teacher for 20 years. To this day, her home is full of the many handmade gifts and pictures she received from the eight-year-olds in her classes. She was often approached by adults in the grocery store who remembered her fondly as their second-grade teacher, and that always brought a big smile to her face.

Margie’s instinct in tragedy was always to draw closer to family, and to open her schedule and her home. Amy and Chris grew up in the home of their grandmother after the passing of her daughter-in-law, Patricia, in the fall of 1990. Harold had passed away three years earlier and Margie found meaning by helping her son, Tim, raise his children. “Gram” prayed for them regularly, took them to church, and helped them to achieve much more than they would have otherwise. Margie retired from teaching in 1992, but she saw to it that Amy and Chris would reach adulthood in a stable and peaceful home that was saturated in prayer and the knowledge of God. Her daughter, Cheryl, lived in Waxahachie, but she, her husband Joe, and their son, Josh, are also witnesses to the many ways that Gram’s steady presence lifted many burdens in all our lives.

One way that Gram fostered a greater sense of family was through organizing summer family trips with Cheryl and Tim’s families to places like the Farm, Colorado, Alaska, and Hawaii; these trips are now treasured memories for all of us. The other was hosting holidays filled with love, togetherness, one-pan supper, prune cake, and pecan pies.

The farm girl from Ballinger also traveled the country and the world with her treasured First Baptist friends in the “Don’t Mention Age” (DMAs) group, fearlessly led by Charlie and Becky Elliot.

This past year, we hosted a party at the Ballinger farm for Gram’s 100^th birthday. A throng of family members surrounded Gram with words of praise and thanks, and we reflected on the many ways that the Lord has blessed our family. There are many words that come to mind when one thinks of Margie: Mom, Gram, Aunt, friend, steadiness, word search puzzles, kindness, folded newspapers, the “right” way to load a dishwasher, Wheel of Fortune episodes, thank you cards, Thursday hair appointments, birthday cards, family trips, hymns, prayer, and love. Her home on Shandon has lost its heart, but heaven has gained another radiant saint; we are smiling through the tears for that. We love you, Gram. “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

Margie is preceded in death by her husband, Harold Johnson; her parents, Lonnie and Mittie Muncy; her sister, Lovie Faye Harvey; her brother, Roy Lee Muncy; her brother, Bobby Wayne Muncy; her daughter-in-law, Patricia Swihart Johnson; and many other relatives and friends. She is survived by her son, Tim Johnson, and her daughter, Cheryl Langley (Joe); her grandchildren Josh Langley (Michelle), Amy King (Brad), and Chris Johnson; great grandchildren, Jack and Reese Langley, and Luther and Liam King; her sister-in-law, Dorothy Muncy; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends whom she loved.

The family would like to thank Margie’s caregivers, Rosie, Olivia, Roxanne, and Delma for their loving care over the past years which enabled Gram to still live at home. And thank you to Rosa who kept Margie’s Thursday hair appointments for years before she passed. Your care was invaluable.

A memorial service will be held in Midland 11:00 am, Friday, March 27, 2026 at the First Baptist Church Chapel followed by a service in Ballinger for family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider The Gideons International or make a donation to the charity of your choice in Margie’s honor.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online Condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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