Hundreds of people braved the wet weather Monday to pay tribute to former Dallas congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Earlier Monday, a visitation was held at Fair Park in a corner of the district Johnson represented for decades in congress. NBC 5’s Ken Kalthoff was there.
“It’s important to honor women who have blazed the trail in Texas, especially women of color. There’s not a ton of women of color who are in leadership positions, especially at the Federal level,” Prillman said.
Betty Carter Hooey served on a senior advisory group for Johnson during Johnson’s 50 years of elected service.
“She kept going and like the energizer battery. She kept going on and on and on. And I’m just so proud of her, because she’s come down into the churches and informed us of everything that was going on. And we appreciate her for that,” Hooey said.
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Funeral procession carrying the casket of former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson arrives at the Hall of State in Fair Park to lie in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Pallbearers carry the casket carrying former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson arrives at the Hall of State in Fair Park to lie in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Pallbearers carry the casket carrying former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson arrives at the Hall of State in Fair Park to lie in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Pallbearers carry the casket carrying former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson arrives at the Hall of State in Fair Park to lie in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Pallbearers carry the casket carrying former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson arrives at the Hall of State in Fair Park to lie in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Mourners pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State at Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Mourners arrive to pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State at Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Kirk Johnson (center, right), and his wife, Sondra Johnson, cq, (center), arrive at the Hall of State in Fair Park at the Hall of State in Fair Park while former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Kirk Johnson (right), and his wife, Sondra Johnson, cq, (center) pause at the casket of of his mother, former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson as she lies in state at the Hall of State in Fair Park at the Hall of State in Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Mourners pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State at Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Kirk Johnson (facing at right), the son of former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, is consoled after visiting the Hall of State in Fair Park where his mother was lying in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Mourners pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State at Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Mourners signatures are seen in a guest book at the Hall of State in Fair Park where former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson arrives was lying in state on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
From left, Arthur Busby, Murat Gokcigdem, and Damarcus Offord pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State in Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Busby worked on Johnsons security detail for decades, Gokcigdem is her former Chief of Staff, and Offord was her Director of Outreach. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
From left, Arthur Busby, Murat Gokcigdem, and Damarcus Offord pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State in Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Busby worked on Johnsons security detail for decades. Gokcigdem is her former Chief of Staff, and Offord was her Director of Outreach. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Mourners pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State at Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
R. Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University, pays his respects to former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, as she lies in state at the Hall of State in Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas.
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett pays her respects to her predecessor, former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, as she lies in state at the Hall of State in Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas.
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Mourners pay their respects as former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson lies in state at the Hall of State at Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Richard Irvin Lee, of Waco, Texas, grieves at the casket of former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson as she lies in state at the Hall of State in Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Richard Irvin Lee, of Waco, Texas, pauses at the casket of former U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson as she lies in state at the Hall of State in Fair Park on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Dallas. Johnson, a trailblazing North Texas Democrat who served 15 terms in Congress, died on Dec. 31. (Smiley Pool/ The Dallas Morning News /POOL PHOTO)
Johnson recruited State Representative Jasmine Crockett to run for her seat. Johnson had only been retired for a year when she died on New Year's Eve.
“It’s really tragic. I think many of you have covered the way that she died, and that’s what makes it even more tragic,” Crockett said.
Johnson’s family has threatened a lawsuit over alleged medical neglect that they blame for her death. But on Monday, most of the talk was about her life and support for her grieving family.
“I went to school with her son, Kirk,” Dallas City Councilman Tennell Atkins said. “I think she kept going because of passion. She kept going because she was a nurse. She wanted to help people. She wanted to help Dallas.”
Eddie Bernice Johnson worked as a nurse at the Dallas VA Hospital before she ran for elected office.
Former Dallas School Superintendent Michael Hinojosa attended the visitation to pay his respects. Hinojosa said he has a family connection. Johnson’s sister trained him for a Grand Prairie school administration job before his time in Dallas.
He was with Johnson when a new elementary school named for her opened in 2020.
“And she fought that. She said, when you die you have a school named after you, then they’ll remember you. But she walked that school with so much pride, it was amazing,” Hinojosa said.
The school in Wilmer is focused on science and technology, issues Johnson championed as a nurse promoted in Congress.
“And our hearts are heavy today, but we’re happy because her legacy, even though she is gone, will live on,” Hooey said.
The people who gathered at the visitation said they would see to that.
