By (WTOK)
MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – Flags at the Lauderdale County Courthouse were flown at half-mast today in honor of Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk Donna Jill Johnson.
Johnson passed away on Thursday, after serving as the Circuit Clerk of Lauderdale County for over 30 years.
She was first elected to the seat in January of 1992.
She is remembered in the community as an outspoken advocate of fair elections, and a helping hand to anyone who asked.
Clarke County Circuit Clerk Sally Wedgeworth says Johnson was always there to assist anytime there was a need, from anywhere in the state.
“There are 82 counties in Mississippi, and we all work together. We’ve always looked up to Donna Jill for the wisdom she’s always given us. I know I could have called her at any time, and she would have helped me do anything, and I appreciate what she’s done for me,” said Wedgeworth.
Senator Jeff Tate, who was close with Johnson, said she was a local legend, and a pillar of the community.
“Truly a legend, somebody that just everybody knows. There’s not a lot of people that everybody knows, but she was one of them. I had the honor of being able to work with her from 2009 to 2019 as an election commissioner. Together, we ran close to 50 elections and just had an amazing relationship and bond. She referred to me as her surrogate grandson, but we were closer than that. She’s the person that would go unopposed every four years. She’s the person that, even though she was unopposed, she’d get the most votes of anybody on the ballot,” said Tate.
Tate added she always tried to make herself available, regardless of political or social views.
“She was so personable and always at her office, always trying to be the one to answer the phone no matter what was going on. If you ever needed her, she was there. At this new courthouse, it’s not quite as personable, and she had her opinions about the new courthouse, but the old courthouse, she was always there. She always had a pile of papers on her desk, no denying that. She appreciated that she appreciated she get her hands on whatever documents she wanted right there.”
WTOK sends their deepest condolences to the Johnson family and those that knew her.