Johnanna (Diggs) Overstreet

Streaming of the Celebration of Life Service for Johnanna Overstreet will be at Brentwood Baptist Church, in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., via www.brentwoodbaptist.org/live

Mrs. Johnanna Overstreet was born Johnanna Diggs in Hammond, Texas on April 30, 1936, to parents John and Gertrude Diggs. They joyously welcomed their third and last child to join older siblings, Eldridge and Doris. Young Johnanna eventually moved to Dallas, Texas where she completed middle school at B. T. Darrell Elementary-Middle School and high school at Booker T. Washington High School. She demonstrated her academic aptitude throughout school and finished high school a semester early with a membership in the National Honor Society.

Following high school Johnanna headed to Prairie View A&M University and graduated in 1957 with a major in Dietetics and a minor in Education. She earned a Master of Education in Elementary Education with a minor in Supervision in 1964, also from Prairie View A&M. Her continued interest in higher education led her to complete courses at the University of Utah and additional graduate courses at PVAMU.

Johnanna began her career in education in Anahuac, Texas as a teacher at Double Bayou Elementary School in 1961 in Double Bayou, Texas, a small, segregated community in Chambers County. She then moved to Diboll, Texas in Angelina County where she taught elementary-aged children. Finally, she found her permanent home in Houston where she continued her work as a teacher at Gregory-Lincoln Elementary School. She settled into her calling as an educator and found her professional home at Grissom Elementary. Johnanna was a gifted and dedicated teacher and held various positions at Grissom such as Master-Teacher, Grade Chairperson, Part-time Principal, Curriculum Coordinator, and finally Assistant Principal.

Her last position before retirement was Assistant Principal at J.C. McDade Elementary School. Mrs. Overstreet made 37 years of career excellence look easy before retiring on July 1, 1995. By the time she turned in her red pen, Johnanna had been honored with a host of awards including Teacher of the Year in 1963 at Double Bayou Elementary School, Teacher of the Year in 1974 at Grissom Elementary School, and Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America in 1974.

In 1957 she joined in holy matrimony with fellow educator Early Overstreet. The pair were blessed with 42 years of marriage and two children, Gladys Overstreet Richard and Brian Early Overstreet. As members of the striving Black community in still segregated Houston, Johnanna and Early’s economic success led them to become the 3rd family to integrate the neighborhood of Cambridge Village in southwest Houston. That home holds 50 years of memories for the Overstreet family, their extended family, their friends, and anyone who stopped by to try a piece of Johnanna’s pound cake, a bowl of gumbo, or a plate of greens and cornbread.

While managing her family and career, Johnanna held active memberships in Phi Beta Kappa, National Women of Achievement, HASA, and HABSE-TABSE. In addition, Johnanna was privileged to become a proud woman of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., after earning membership through the Houston Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter in the Spring of 1993. Upon her move to Houston Johnanna joined Brentwood Baptist Church where she has remained a member since 1974. She served the Lord through her work in the church as a Singles III Sunday School Teacher and Sunday School #7 Teacher. She also participated in the Deacon Wives Auxiliary and Noon Bible Study. As a lifelong learner and a Proud Panther, Johnanna poured back into the school that had given her so much and maintained her activity in the Prairie View A&M Alumni Association until she went to her rest. In 2016, she received the Prairie View Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding impact on the entire PVAMU alumni community.

Although parted in life, Johnanna has gone home to meet her Lord and Savior, her beloved husband Early, her parents, sister, brother, and her beloved daughter, Gladys. Johnanna is survived by her son Brian (Dee), grandchildren: Melissa, Keilan, Blake, and Blair, beloved godson Jerry Gaither, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Johnanna carried many titles and names throughout her life: Johnanna, Mrs. Overstreet, Mother, Meme, Granny, and Aunt Johnny just to name a few. But no matter what name she was called, Johnanna Overstreet always answered. She gave of herself in every way that she could, through teaching, loving, praying, cooking, laughing, and simply being a comforting presence. Her life and legacy are represented by the voices that called her name and those that will carry it into the future. We, her family and friends, wish for just one more day, but in our grief, we still thank God for the 88 years he gave her. May her memory always be a blessing.

“As everyone has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – 1 Peter 4:10