Pearl Dimple Johnson was born to Clodia Margaret Wyatt and Sidney L. Johnson on February 7, 1902 in Chestnut Mount, Smith County, Tennessee. She was the 7th of nine children. As a very young child, Pearl accompanied her parents for a covered-wagon trip to Texas. However, the Johnson family returned to Tennessee soon afterward.

In 1923 she married Amzira Reynolds of Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. They made their early family life in Shelbyville where Pearl gave birth to three children. Henry Johnson Reynolds was their eldest, born in 1924, followed by Mary Alda who was born in 1928.

Pearl was never one of strong constitution and birthing babies was difficult for her. When she was pregnant with Ellen Anne, three doctors (the required number at the time) signed that she must have an abortion in order to survive. However, Pearl always averred that "no one's going to kill a baby of mine!" And thus, she braved a difficult birth, and her third child, Ellen Anne was born in 1931.

California: During WWII, Amzira and Pearl Reynolds moved their family to California where work was plentiful, but soon missed their family and returned to Shelbyville, Tennessee. However, they had gotten the California fever, and returned again just after the War, with their daughters (Mary) Alda and (Ellen) Anne voraciously singing all the way, "California, here I come, right back where I started from!" California was where the Reynolds family would remain.

Amzira suffered a terrible aneurysm just before Christmas in 1950 and passed away on December 27 at the age of 48. Pearl was thus widowed at the young age of 48. It was a difficult time for Pearl who was thus thrust into having to learn to take care of herself; however, she became a beautician and enrolled in a Dale Carnegie course in order to enhance her ability to cope in the business world.

In 1953, however, Gerald (Jerry) Cooper swept her off her feet… quite literally… as they enjoyed many a night on the dance floor. Pearl would later describe it as "divine!" And, when she was preparing to go to assist her daughter Anne with the birth of her first child, Jerry insisted that they marry as he was afraid that she would meet someone who would steal her away from him.

Initially, Pearl and Jerry remained in the home that she had shared with Amzira; however, strange occurrences kept happening and Pearl and Jerry moved to Eagle Rock, California. Pearl said that Amzira always said that if anything happened and she remarried that he would come back and haunt her. Pearl and especially Jerry, were emphatic that this was true as long as they remained in Amzira's house.

Pearl and Jerry liked living in Eagle Rock, where their home was half a block from Jerry's barbershop. Many were the times that their children would visit along with their multitude of Grandchildren. Altogether, Pearl (and Amzira) had 15 Grandchildren. Since most of the children had never had the privilege to meet Grandpa Amzira, they took Jerry into their hearts as their Grandpa.

Progress comes and the state decided that they must put a freeway through the middle of the barbershop, and thus Pearl and Jerry were compelled to move. They relocated to Garden Grove, California.

In February 1983, Jerry passed away, and once again Pearl was widowed. Pearl remained in their home in Garden Grove for several years, but was finally compelled to move into a retirement village which she hated.

Realizing her despair, Pearl's son Henry brought her home with him to Yucca Valley, where he set up her mobile home on his property, where she stayed as long as her health permitted.

Pearl passed away on May 10, 1994 in Yucca Valley, San Bernadino County, California. She was buried in Sunnyside Memorial Park in Long Beach, California with her first husband Amzira Reynolds. (Jerry Cooper's ashes were buried at sea.)

Pearl was a gracious southern woman who loved her family and God. It always seemed as if she needed careful cossetting -- and yet in other ways she was the tree that would not bend in a hurricane.

Pearl D Cooper