Helen Johnson Obituary

Helen Dodson Johnson

June 20, 1925 -

January 11, 2025

HENDERSONVILLE - Helen Dodson Johnson, age 99, passed away peacefully in Hendersonville, Tennessee, on January 11, 2025, due to heart failure.

She was born June 20, 1925, in Russellville, Tennessee to Nora and Gale Dodson. She grew up in Russellville, graduated from Whitesburg High School and at age 19 began work in Oak Ridge in a secretive defense job at Tennessee Eastman Company. Later she learned she was part of a team that enriched uranium to help build the atomic bomb. Helen and her co-workers were dubbed the Calutron girls and memorialized in the book, "The Girls of Atomic City". While working at Tennessee Eastman, she met and married her husband, Rev. Elmer Johnson in 1947. They made their home in Kingsport, Tennessee until moving to Hendersonville in 1996. Elmer preceded Helen in death in 1997.

The focus of Helen's life was her family and her church. She was a member of GoodNaz, Goodlettsville Church of the Nazarene. She taught Sunday school, ran vacation bible school, served as the church treasurer and served in many other roles required of a Nazarene pastor's wife. She was a lifelong sports fan who played high school basketball. She was an excellent cook whose butterscotch pie, yeast rolls, and potato salad were highly sought after. She enjoyed crossword puzzles and read the newspaper daily. Her caring actions, quick wit and straight talk will be deeply missed.

Helen is survived by her three daughters Vickie Johnson of Hendersonville, Connie Kesselring (Eric) of Kansas City, and Sandy Beaty (Rob) of Mt. Juliet; grandchildren Brandyn West (Tyler) and Andrew Kesselring; five great-grandchildren and four great great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her honorary daughter Fran Hubbard (Johnny) Kingsport. Her son, Larry Johnson, preceded her in death in 1974, and her great great granddaughter, Brook West, preceded her in death in 2000.

The family would like to thank Becky Gould, Michele Morris, Courtney Morris, Joslyn Morris and Teresa Greer for their kind and tender care the last few months and years. The family would also like to express their love and appreciation to the members and friends at GoodNaz for all their support and love for Helen.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Sumner Funeral & Cremation Lakeside in Hendersonville.

A Celebration of Life will be held at GoodNaz church in Goodlettsville on Saturday, February 1, 2025, starting at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

The family requests to refrain from sending flowers to the visitation. They will be warmly welcomed at the Celebration of Life Service on February 1, 2025.

The family will also receive friends from 12:30 pm until 1:30 pm on Friday, January 17, 2025, in the chapel of Oak Hill Funeral Home in Kingsport, TN, 800 Truxton Dr., Kingsport, TN 37660.

Helen will be interred at 2:00 pm on Friday, January 17, 2025, next to her husband at Oak Hill Memorial Park in Section F of Oak Hill Memorial Park.

Arrangements Entrusted to: Sumner Funeral & Cremation Lakeside, Hendersonville (615) 822-4442 www.sumnerfuneral.com