Obituary for Jos Ethel “Josie” Gooch Gibson

Josie Gibson, age 86 of Ellijay, GA, passed away on Friday, August 28th, 2026. She was born on May 26th, 1940, to Lula Carder Gooch and Carl H. Gooch, the fifth of nine children (8 girls and one boy) in Suches, GA. She began working the soda fountain at the local drug store on the Ellijay Square as a teen, where she met her late husband Gomer and they raised two daughters, Sherri and Jennifer.

In addition to being a housewife and mother, she worked many jobs throughout her career, including fashion and apparel at the Ellijay Hosiery Mill, the Uh Oh Clothing Shop (where the Cantaberry Restaurant is now located) and the Family Bootery (in the Gilmer Shopping Center) where she made lasting friends for life. She also worked at Highway 515 Auto Auction commanding the concession stand on Tuesday nights, also making many lasting friendships and impressions.

Driven from her career experience, Josie possessed a great fashion style and love for shopping. She looked fabulous everywhere she went, always wearing beautiful jewelry, clothes and high heels. Not only did she enjoy fashion, she was also skilled at needlepoint, embroidery, sewing, crocheting, and quilting. She took pride in the homes they lived in (Gomer was a contractor, so as soon as she had one house decorated they were moving to another). Her favorite way to spend her time was talking on the phone with her sisters and friends, traveling, gardening, thrifting and sun bathing. Her friends and family were very important to her, she enjoyed being a mother and especially a grandmother.

Josie’s strong Baptist faith played a central role in her life. She accepted Christ early in her life and became a minister’s wife at a young age at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. Through the years, she taught Sunday School, was church clerk and did whatever was needed wherever they attended, which she always attributed to her strong upbringing by her mom and also the great influence of her mother-in-law Mary Gibson, who was like a mother to her. Along with her husband, she founded Calvary Way Baptist Church in 1976, where she is remembered for her beautiful alto voice in the church choir for many decades. She and Gomer went on mission trips in the summer where he would help build other churches. She always anticipated the return of Jesus and spoke often of how she couldn’t wait to meet him face to face.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband Gomer Gibson, sisters Ruth James, Ruby Hancock, Cora Pinson and brother Charles Gooch.

She is survived by her two daughters and son-in-laws Sherri (Gary) Bramlett and Jennifer (Ronnie) Chester; four sisters - Fran Hegler, Gerry Jones, Ellene James, Martha York; sister-in-law Juanita Gibson; five grandchildren - Josh Bramlett, Jonah (Joy) Bramlett, Holly Chester, Faith Chester, Jason (Cassandra) Weaver; two great grandchildren - Connor Bailey and Jonathan Bailey; and several cousins, nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral services to honor the life of Josie Gibson will be held on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026, at 3pm at the Chapel of Bernhardt Funeral Home with Reverend Emuel Sanford and Reverend Claude Mathis officiating, followed by a procession to Calvary Way Baptist Church where she will be laid to rest. The family will be receiving friends at 1pm until the service hour of 3pm.

In lieu of food and flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Samaritan’s Purse online (www.samaritanspurse.org) or mailed to PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.

Bernhardt Funeral Home of Ellijay, GA is entrusted with these arrangements.