Johnnie Penn

Johnnie Mae Penn, born Johnnie Mae Slade in DeBerry, Texas to Alverna Slade Francis and Johnny Green Smith on September 13, 1941. She spoke about her childhood, growing up in the deep country picking pecans and raising farm animals. When she moved to Denver, Colorado in 1950, she still enjoyed spending the summers with Big Mama in DeBerry. She attended Cole Junior High School, and then graduated from Manual High School in 1959. She furthered her education by attending Colorado Nursing School where she received her Certified License Practitioner Nurse degree. Johnnie went to work at Denver General Hospital for 28 years, semi-retired and gave more service to the Park Hill Health Clinic for 3 years, and the Eastside Clinic for 5 years. She was very caring to her patients but very firm and would tell the rude patients off. Johnnie met and married William Francis Penn in 1959, where she became Mrs. Johnnie Mae Penn. She loved all of her beautiful children, Renee, Danette, Kim, Keith, Pam, and Mike. She leaves lasting memories of playing jacks with her daughters and car chase with her boys. They all remember having the best holidays; hot pressing all the girls hair for Easter, big Christmas parties and 4th of July BBQs. She had the best big sister relationship with her siblings, Rena Faye, Johnny Ray, Alfreda, Gregory, and Beverly. Johnnie Mae never met a stranger, she befriended all she encountered. Her dear friends, Pearl Hughes (60 yrs), Darlene Triplett (15 yrs), Patricia Smith (neighbor for 9 yrs) all have great stories of their friendship talking on the phone for 3 - 4 hours. She shopped with them all until they dropped. She was passionate about caring for others, cooking meals for any one, gardening, growing beautiful flower gardens, greens, watermelon, strawberries even potatoes! She spent hours at the Goodwill and Thrift Stores. Johnnie was nicknamed Queen Soopers for shopping so much at "King Soopers". She was a strong faith Christian woman all her life; she read many, many books but her most read book was the Bible. Johnnie was a member of New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist church for over 20 years. She served as the secondary usher board and sang in the choir. The last few years she had been attending Zion Temple Pentecostal Apostolic Faith Church. Johnnie will be most remembered for the caring, friendly, loving woman she was, knitting baby blankets, and cooking her delicious BBQ ribs. Johnnie Mae was preceded in death by her daughter, Kim Germaine Penn; her parents, Johnny Green Smith and Alverna Slade Francis. Johnnie Mae departed this life to be embraced by the Lord on June 25, 2015, at her Denver home with her family by her side. Those left to cherish her memories include three daughters, Renee Smith, Pamela Dorsey, both of Colorado, Danette Penn, Oklahoma; two sons, Keith Penn, New Mexico and Michael Dorsey, Colorado; her grandchildren, Tamika Marquez, Shavonne Penn of Austin, TX, Steffaine Bookhardt, Dwayne Bookhardt, Shantele Mitchell , all of Colorado, Ashley (Tim) Tusey of Missouri, Brandon Dorsey, Zach Zeimen, DeAndre Hill, Brianne Penn, Shayla Hepp, Michael Dorsey II, Tori Hepp, all of Colorado; she was affectionately known as Granny, Nana by her 10 great grandchildren; his sisters, Rena Faye Robinson, Texas, Alfreda Woodard and Beverly (Pierre) LaCaille, both of Colorado; brothers Johnny Ray Smith, California, and Gregory Smith, Texas. Many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and friends.

Funeral Home: Pipkin Braswell Funerals and Cremation - 2050 Uinta Street, Denver, Colorado
Visitation: 7/6/2015 at 4:00 PM - Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 6601 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO
Service: 7/7/2015 at 11:00 AM Reception to follow Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace - 3370 Ivy Street, Denver, CO
Family Gathering: 7/7/2015 - Following the Service. Pipkin Braswell Reception Center - 2428 Ogden Street, Denver, CO