Christine Lewis

Entered into eternal rest on November 8, 2023, “Christine” born in 1940 in McCurtain County Oklahoma, was the youngest daughter of the late Lon Lewis and Pinkie Rundles Lewis. Christine was affectionately known as “Lil Sister” to her parents and siblings, “Granny or Granny Ma” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and “Chris” or “Aunt Chris” to other family. She attended Slater Elementary School and Booker T. Washington High School Idabel, Ok. During her high school years, she met and married Otto Johnson. Prior to their relationship ending, they were blessed with four children. Christine spent many of her adult years in Chicago, IL, where she worked downtown and lived on Chicago’s “west side”. When her children were younger, during summer nights she loved watching the old Buckingham Fountain light shows in Grant Park and attending anything cultural in downtown Chicago with them. Christine highly valued timeliness and excellence. She loved cooking and was a “Chef” at several restaurants in the downtown area: Rocco Novello’s 22 East Restaurant, Humble’s North, and The Berghoff’s Restaurant. She earned the position and title of Berghoff’s first female Chef working under legendary Executive Chef, Mohammed Hussein. Christine was also Head Chef and part owner of Nina’s Soul Food Restaurant located on Chicago’s west side. She readily proclaimed that her main ingredient in any recipe was “love” and every dish was an expression of her love. Her culinary skills gained the attention of one special customer at Nina’s Soul Food Restaurant; Clinton Lewis Jr. Christine and Clinton were married the following year and made their home in Oak Park, IL. During their retirement years, they moved to Clinton’s childhood hometown of Collinsville, MS. There she continued cooking at food counters and catering in the local area. She fully enjoyed “southern living” for over twenty years surrounded by Clinton’s family, and their Friendship Baptist Church family and friends. Christine lived in Collinsville until shortly after Clinton’s passing. After leaving Mississippi in 2015, she lived in Northern Virginia for several years with her daughter and granddaughter and was a member of the First Mount Zion Baptist Church, in Dumfries VA. In October 2018, she returned to Chicago where she lived out her remaining years near her other children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, her Mount Ridge M.B. Church family, and other family and friends. Christine accepted Jesus Christ at a young age and served at the Macedonia Baptist Church in Idabel, OK. She was a woman of fervent prayer, strong faith and shared her belief with “ev-er-ry-one” she encountered. Although never licensed or ordained she acknowledged her call to preach the Gospel. Much of her life was devoted to church and community involvement. Equipped with the gifts of evangelism and encouragement, she was fully committed to serving and ministering to others. She believed that one’s greatest acknowledgement of God’s unique fingerprint, was to “have the courage to be yourself !” In addition to her love for cooking, Christine loved singing, listening to all types of music genres, studying the Bible, teaching, mentoring younger women, sharing her faith with others, writing skits, reciting poetry, gardening, fishing, and playing and winning at dominoes. She had an appreciation for and a strong desire to play the “lead” guitar. She loved fashion, the color blue, cold weather, and forever gazing up at the moon and stars at night and just before dawn. More than anything, she loved spending quiet time with God. Christine was preceded in death by her parents Pinkie and Lon Lewis, her husband, Clinton Lewis, Jr, granddaughter Beverly A. Riley, great-granddaughter Everleigh Rae Jones, her brothers, Lonnie B. Lewis, Johnny L. Lewis “Pete”, Clyde D. Lewis Sr. “Bubba”, Sisters Doris Lewis Bumpres, Jennie V. Lewis Brown “Skeete”, Son-in-law Raymond D. Parker “Ray”, Sisters-in-law Christine Scott Lewis, Rosie D. Lewis “Rose”, Pamela Lewis “Pam”, Brothers-in-law Henry Bumpres, and James Brown, and her dear friends, Maxine Riley and Mary Crafton. Christine leaves to cherish her loving memories, children, First Lady Minister Deborah Johnson Simpson (Pastor Reverend Snirly), Oak Park, IL; Reverend Helen Johnson Parker, Stafford, VA; Evette Johnson Riley (Andre), Evanston, IL; Christopher Otto Johnson “Chris”, Homewood, IL; her loving grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, a host of stepchildren, step grands and great grands, two devoted couples she affectionately claimed as her adopted children: Johanna and Juan Juansley and Angela and Chris Q McDonald of Collinsville, MS, close friends Mabel Holloway and Hazel Wilson, and her beloved church families, a host of other friends, and mentees that she loved. Christine’s love and passion for God, family, life, people, and cooking is cherished and will forever be deeply missed!

Christine Lewis

May 1, 1940 - November 8, 2023