Johnnie Mae Carter

Johnnie Mae was born in Clay County, TX, to Jessie Mae (Williams) and Johnny Arthur Walker on February 9, 1934. She graduated from Dunbar High School in Lubbock, TX, in 1952, and pursued a career in service and nursing as an LVN. After completing career courses, she was assigned to the neonatal unit at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, TX, where she remained until 1978. She took a hiatus from her work to support young women but returned to the Medical Center in 1979 and remained there until her retirement in 1994.

Johnnie Mae was a devout Christian woman and a charter member of Freedom Missionary Baptist Church in Odessa, TX. She introduced her family to Christ and raised them to be faithful at St. Matthew Baptist Church, Odessa, TX, where they spent many years worshipping together. As they grew in both faith and love, her guidance and guardianship were consistent. She attended bible study weekly at the senior citizen center and was very active in ALL church activities, not only at her home church but also at many other churches across Odessa. She was a member of the Citywide Mission. She started as a driver for “Meals on Wheels” in the late 90s and did so until 2023. She was a member of the Castanettes Social Club. In recognition of her community involvement in Odessa, she was named a “Hometown Hero” by the BCCO during the 2025 Juneteenth celebration in Odessa.

Johnnie Mae is preceded in death by her husband: James Carter; daughters: Brenda Moore (Richard), Cynthia Patterson (Van), and Andy Carter; son: Ronnie Carter (Lisa), sisters: Dessie Edwards and Lorraine Collins; brothers: Sylvester Jordan (Florence), Ray Walker (Edith), and Charlie Walker (Annis) and grandson: Donnel Lewis.

Those who survive her continue to cherish her memory. She is survived by her son: Darin Carter (Kim) of Manassas, Virginia; daughters: Carmen (Hopie) Yonke and Carlen Reeves of Odessa, TX, Carmen Bryant of Dallas, TX; sister: Ann Shepard of Ft. Worth, TX; 3 special daughters: Sherley Taylor of Odessa, TX, Doris Faye Smith of Amarillo, TX, and Marilyn Foster of Longview, TX; special son: Leroy Hutson of Marshall, TX; 17 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, and 37 great-great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, and other friends.

Visitation is set for Friday April 17, 2026, from 1pm-9pm at Martinez Funeral Home Chapel.

The Celebration of Life service has been set for 11Am Saturday April 18, 2026, at Living Vision Ministries 325 S Grandview Ave Odessa, TX 79761 with Rev Donald Flinn sharing the eulogy.

Buril will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

She never met a stranger, and she loved to talk. She always had her own opinions and was very willing to share. If a specific opinion needed emphasis, she was not above using “adjectives” – which in her mind equaled “…a good cussin.”