Mrs. Gwendolyn J. Connally

Obituary Gwendolyn Marjorie Johnson Connally was born on June 17, 1913 in Aiken, South Carolina. She was the sixth of seven children born to Cecelia Ladeveze Johnson and Dr. Charles C. Johnson. Delivered at home by her father, who was a physician, she grew up in a loving home with older sisters Mary Jane Johnson (Jones) and Cecelia O. Johnson (McGhee); older brothers Charles C. Johnson, Jr., F. Mason Johnson, Ladeveze W. Johnson and younger brother Reed Poindexter. She attended elementary school and high school in Aiken and spent two years at Howard University, in Washington D.C. before transferring to South Carolina State College, where she graduated with a degree in Home Economics. At Howard University she became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Her affiliation with Alpha Kappa Alpha was steeped in family tradition, since her first cousin, Vivien Cooke Stokes was one of the first pledges in the sorority shortly after its founding at Howard University in 1908. After graduation, she returned to Aiken and worked in the family business, Dr. C.C. Johnson's Drug Store which was one of the oldest black businesses in the state. Her sister, Mary Jane and brothers Charles and F. Mason were all pharmacist who had graduated from Howard University and worked in the business. Her brother Reed Poindexter was a physician, also a graduate of Howard. In 1940 while working at the drugstore, she met George L. Connally, a recent graduate of Tuskegee University, who had come to Aiken to work as the business manager for Schofield High School. They married shortly thereafter and had two daughters, Gwendolyn Marjorie Connally-Campbell and Cecelia Ellen Connally. Shortly after the birth of her daughter Marjorie, in the early days of World War II, Gwendolyn boarded a segregated train with her six week old baby to join her husband in Cleveland, Ohio. For a new mother, who had lived a sheltered life in a small town in the South and had never traveled alone before, this must have been a lonely journey. But it also showed her strength, love and devotion to her husband. She lived the rest of her life in Cleveland, as a homemaker, working briefly at Taylor's Department Store and ultimately joining her husband working in his business, the Connally Insurance Agency. In 1944 George and Gwendolyn bought a house on Greenlawn Avenue, in the Glenville area of Cleveland. They lived there until 1964 when they moved to East Silsby Road in Beachwood, where she was friends with many neighbors. While she did not like to travel, like her husband, they did enjoy several trips to Florida and cruises. While her mother was alive, she visited Aiken every summer to spend time with her family. In later life she enjoyed trips to Las Vegas and even visited Cleveland's Downtown Casino at age 100. When her ability to get around became difficult, she really enjoyed scratch off lottery tickets, always hoping to hit the big one! After the death of her husband in 1999, and with the strong urging of friends and relatives she started to attend the Menorah Park Adult Day Care Center. After some reluctance, she came to look forward to the two days a week she spent making new friends, going on field trips and getting out of the house. In her late 90's when her daughter, grandsons and friends took her to Presque Isle Casino for her birthday - one of her favorite places to go - she was asked by her sister what she had done for her birthday. Not wanting to reveal her gambling habits to her very religious sister, she replied: "Ellen and her friends took me to nice restaurant. I don't remember the name, but it was very nice." For her 100th birthday, she celebrated at a luncheon on Lander Haven, attended my nearly 100 friends and relatives from all over the country. It was one of the happiest days of her life! Although Gwendolyn grew up as an Episcopalian, she joined the Catholic Church in the 1950's and was a loyal member of St. Thomas Aquinas and Church of the Gesu. Always a lover of animals, she often talked about the cat she had as a child, Tabby. As an adult, she was the proud companion of Rico, Fred, Buster, Princess - a Schnauzer who was a special favorite who accompanied her on many trips to South Carolina and finally Mugzy and grand-dog Lucky. Gwendolyn, affectingly known as "Granny" is survived by her sister, Cecelia J. McGhee (age 103), her daughters G. Marjorie Connally-Campbell (George) and C. Ellen Conally; Grandsons Bruce L. Hamilton (Maria) and Seth George Connally and great grandson, Bruce L. Hamilton, Jr. She is also survived by nephews, William M. McGhee (Beatrice); L.J. McGhee; David W. McGhee, F. Mason Johnson, Jr.; nieces Yvonne M. James, Angela McGhee, Sylvia Johnson, Sheila Johnson, Ethel Ford (Gerald), Margaret Sidney, Wanda Wood-Knox, Rosalyn Wood-Hill, Dr. Virginia "Dee" Banks and a cousin, Karl Thomson who made a special effort to visit her on the final day of her life. A special thanks is also given to Alice Cox Wynn, Helen Wright and Brenda J. Hall who visited her frequently in her final days. Internment The internment will be in the historic Cedar Grove Cemetery, Augusta, Georga. Members of the Ladeveze family were some of the first internments at this historic landmark cemetery opened in the late 19th century. Gwendolyn's ashes will be interned there on April 15, 2015. At the time of the death of her late husband, she specifically requested that his internment be on that date, the date of their marriage. The family wishes to comply with her wishes. She will join four generations of her family, near her beloved mother, Cecelia Ladeveze Johnson and sister Mary Jane Johnson (Jones) and next to her brother Ladeveze W. Johnson and husband, George L. Connally

Mrs. Gwendolyn J. Connally

June 17, 1913 - November 10, 2014