Easter Ellen Talley Johnston was born to Arthur Harold and Florene Talley on April 12, 1936, in Ducktown, Tenn.After a brief illness, she ended her life not one mile from where she began it – but her 74 years were filled with world travel, countless hours of conversation with the family and friends she loved, and the world’s best recipe for home-made red velvet cake.

Easter was a “people person” before that term was invented. Following her divorce in 1972, she took a job at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, where she worked for more than 20 years as a switchboard and PBX operator. It was the perfect job for a natural-born communicator skilled at always knowing what was going on, with whom, and where – and who never forgot a face, a name or a connection. Where other operators would catch a much-needed nap on their breaks, Easter would patrol the halls befriending doctors, nurses, police officers and others, some of whom she continued to meet for a monthly lunch until her death.

Throughout her life, Easter engaged her community through volunteer work wherever she lived. She was active with Eastern Star in Ducktown, TN where she served as secretary. She helped plan reunions for alumni of Ducktown School, which operated from 1937 to 1956 and where Easter attended all 12 grades. When Easter retired and moved back to her beloved hometown, she joined the Polk County 911 Board, and served as a poll worker and to Zion Hill Baptist Church, where she had been baptized as a child.

Easter took great pride in her community and in its copper mining heritage. Her grandchildren will forever treasure the memories of visiting the Ducktown July 4th Parade and annual turtle races; taking long drives through the country; standing with our grandmother on the peak above the Burra Burra Mine, where her own father had worked; or hearing stories about loved ones who’d gone before.

Though her connections to her hometown were strong, Easter was seldom happier than when she could hop in a car and find her way to somewhere new, eavesdropping on chatter of a CB radio or replaying her favorite Elvis Presley hits along the way. At age 50, she drove alone from Atlanta to Shreveport, La., where her son and daughter-in-law were stationed, calling friends back home to report seeing the Mississippi River for the first time. With her daughter, she fulfilled a life-long dream of driving through New England in the fall, and managed to dodge traffic to take pictures of every single “Welcome to” state sign along the way. Her travels to visit family took her from her tiny corner of Tennessee to Hawaii, Germany and Paris, France.

There isn’t enough ink in the world to list Easter’s loved ones, because she never met a stranger or left an enemy behind. She is preceded in death by her son, Andrew Arthur Johnston. She is survived by Children Kathy B. Comer (Gray) of Pinnacle, N.C., Bobby Johnston (Mary) of Wheaton, Ill., and Scott Johnston (Tania) of Douglasville, Ga.; siblings Nanette Ballew (Robert K., deceased) of Blue Ridge, Ga., David Talley (Faye) of Pensacola, Fla., Frank Talley (Sylvia) of Ducktown, and Victor Talley (Jane) of Douglasville; nine grand-daughters; one great-grandson and one great-granddaughter; and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

Memorial services will be conducted Tuesday January 11th, at 3:00 p.m. from the Chapel of the Akins funeral home with Rev. Terry Gladson officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. until the funeral hour. Interment will follow later in the Zion Hill Cemetery. The family request that in Lieu of flowers donations be made to the Zion Hill cemetery at 3625 Hwy. 68 Turtletown, TN 37391. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.akinsfuneralhome.com. Akins Funeral Home of Copperhill is in charge of the arrangements.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”