Thelma Tharp Fugate Johnson, age 96 was born to the late Charles and Clara (Wilson) Tharp on October 15, 1929. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Earl Johnson and her son-in-law, Wick Clemons.
She was one of a large family with siblings - Zelma, Ed, Carlis, Bill, Brice, Charles, Osborne, Herman, Randolph, Thomas and Earl Tharp of whom she is survived by Ed, Brice and Zelma.
She had five children - Phyllis, Henry (Julita), Randy Lynn (Iva), William Brack (Lori), Detria (Cory) and her beloved adopted son, Dennis. Her family grew to include nine grandchildren - Jackie, Gary, Angela, Faith Ann, Holli, William Brack Jr., Amanda “Mandy”, Anthony, and Earl; eleven great grandchildren - Olivia, Henry, Jessica, Jesse, Liam, Sophia, Michael, Breanna, Erin, Kenton and Jaelyn and two great greatgrandchildren - Jaxson, Serenity whom are enough people that holiday dinners often looked more like a community event than a family gathering.
Thelma was well known throughout the Southfork community for her cooking. If you ever left her house hungry, it was probably your own fault. She was famous for being able to cook just about any kind of meat you could drag through the front door and sometimes the back door. Her chicken and dumplings never stayed on the table very long and her blackberry dumplings disappeared even faster. Family members are still trying to recreate her famous orange cake and pumpkin pudding cake though many suspect she intentionally took those recipes with her.
She loved gardening, fishing, loved to “cut a rug” to country and bluegrass music and staying busy from dusk till dawn. She was a well-known entrepreneur. She was a former bootlegger from years gone by and was well known and loved throughout the coal mining community for her famous frosty beverages. Years later she came to the Lord and was baptized along with her son, William Brack and great-grandchild, Jaelyn. She was baptized in the South Fork Creek by her nephew, Jimmy Tharp. Witnesses say that it did take two times, but she was fully baptized July 6, 2019. In her business life she made sure that her children and others were well fed and never went to bed hungry. She was a successful businesswoman involved in mobile home parks, property ownership and coal mining. In later years, she enjoyed being a snowbird in Florida near Lake Tohopekaliga where she could spend her days fishing and enjoying the sunshine.
Thelma also faithfully listened to WLJC TV. In fact, if the station had not heard from her in a while, they were known to call and check on her — a true sign of loyalty on both sides.
More than anything, Thelma loved her family and God fiercely. She was strong-willed, hardworking, generous, and unforgettable. She leaves behind countless stories, full stomachs and a family that will continue laughing about her recipes, sayings and stubbornness for generations to come.
Visitation for Thelma will be held Friday, June 5, 2026 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Saturday June 6, 2026 from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM Noon at the Breathitt Funeral Home. Her funeral service will begin Saturday, June 6, at 12:00 PM Noon with Jimmie Tharp officiating.
Burial will follow in the Ben Smith Cemetery at Southfork with William Fugate, Cory Dunning, Anthony Knight, Michael Dunning, Brack Fugate and Cody Spencer serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers include Dennis Hutchinson, Randy Lynn Fugate and Henry Clay Fugate.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Thelma’s memory to WLJC. Call 606-464-4250 or https://wljc.com/donate/
