• Sign Up
    • Yearly by Check
    • Monthly Recurring
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Account
  • Log In
The Hendersonian
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Agriculture
    • Business
    • Local
    • Police
    • Politics
    • Schools
    • Science
    • Sports
    • State
    • World
    Pride ’25: Gatten honored as first recipient of award named after her late wife

    Pride ’25: Gatten honored as first recipient of award named after her late wife

    Briefs: Floyd wins insurance award; Lawson ‘exemplary;’ ‘A Fresh Perspective’ at Audubon; Todd up for young professional of the year

    City commission briefs: Honoring Taylor; Joint resolution and a tolling authority for the new bridge

    City commission briefs: Honoring Taylor; Joint resolution and a tolling authority for the new bridge

    Tyson to invest $23.5 million in Robards complex

    Tyson to invest $23.5 million in Robards complex

    Mills wins majority caucus chair

    Kentucky GOP senators praise laws going into effect

    BRIEFS: Barr campaigns in Henderson; Park’s new play; Daniel Pitino Shelter hosts fundraisers in July

    Residents organize to fight wind turbine project in eastern Henderson County

    Trending Tags

  • Tech
    Blazing-fast broadband services now available to the majority of homes in the city and county

    Blazing-fast broadband services now available to the majority of homes in the city and county

    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

    In some parts of the U.S., the grid of the future might be closer than you think

    Trending Tags

  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Sports
    2025 Handy Fest photo gallery

    2025 Handy Fest photo gallery

    Gritty Lady Cols advance to Final 4

    Gritty Lady Cols advance to Final 4

    Summer blockbusters finally arrive in June

    Summer blockbusters finally arrive in June

    A former Japanese tennis star champions Henderson County athletes

    A former Japanese tennis star champions Henderson County athletes

    Stanley hopes his exhibition is a reminder ‘to be open to joyfulness…from whatever ridiculous source it may come’

    Stanley hopes his exhibition is a reminder ‘to be open to joyfulness…from whatever ridiculous source it may come’

    Henderson joins West Kentucky Film Commission with hopes of luring movie makers here

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    Grants available from Deaconess Henderson Hospital Community Program Fund

    Hospital CAO: Deaconess Henderson will not close

    Enjoy the fresh taste of summer

    Enjoy the fresh taste of summer

    Regional collaborative assists those suffering from mental health challenges with online resources

    Regional collaborative assists those suffering from mental health challenges with online resources

    Plenty of baseball to watch without stepping into a big league stadium

    Plenty of baseball to watch without stepping into a big league stadium

    Matthew 25 cuts the ribbon on new mobile sexual health unit

    Matthew 25 cuts the ribbon on new mobile sexual health unit

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    Trending Tags

  • Public Notices
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Agriculture
    • Business
    • Local
    • Police
    • Politics
    • Schools
    • Science
    • Sports
    • State
    • World
    Pride ’25: Gatten honored as first recipient of award named after her late wife

    Pride ’25: Gatten honored as first recipient of award named after her late wife

    Briefs: Floyd wins insurance award; Lawson ‘exemplary;’ ‘A Fresh Perspective’ at Audubon; Todd up for young professional of the year

    City commission briefs: Honoring Taylor; Joint resolution and a tolling authority for the new bridge

    City commission briefs: Honoring Taylor; Joint resolution and a tolling authority for the new bridge

    Tyson to invest $23.5 million in Robards complex

    Tyson to invest $23.5 million in Robards complex

    Mills wins majority caucus chair

    Kentucky GOP senators praise laws going into effect

    BRIEFS: Barr campaigns in Henderson; Park’s new play; Daniel Pitino Shelter hosts fundraisers in July

    Residents organize to fight wind turbine project in eastern Henderson County

    Trending Tags

  • Tech
    Blazing-fast broadband services now available to the majority of homes in the city and county

    Blazing-fast broadband services now available to the majority of homes in the city and county

    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

    In some parts of the U.S., the grid of the future might be closer than you think

    Trending Tags

  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Sports
    2025 Handy Fest photo gallery

    2025 Handy Fest photo gallery

    Gritty Lady Cols advance to Final 4

    Gritty Lady Cols advance to Final 4

    Summer blockbusters finally arrive in June

    Summer blockbusters finally arrive in June

    A former Japanese tennis star champions Henderson County athletes

    A former Japanese tennis star champions Henderson County athletes

    Stanley hopes his exhibition is a reminder ‘to be open to joyfulness…from whatever ridiculous source it may come’

    Stanley hopes his exhibition is a reminder ‘to be open to joyfulness…from whatever ridiculous source it may come’

    Henderson joins West Kentucky Film Commission with hopes of luring movie makers here

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    Grants available from Deaconess Henderson Hospital Community Program Fund

    Hospital CAO: Deaconess Henderson will not close

    Enjoy the fresh taste of summer

    Enjoy the fresh taste of summer

    Regional collaborative assists those suffering from mental health challenges with online resources

    Regional collaborative assists those suffering from mental health challenges with online resources

    Plenty of baseball to watch without stepping into a big league stadium

    Plenty of baseball to watch without stepping into a big league stadium

    Matthew 25 cuts the ribbon on new mobile sexual health unit

    Matthew 25 cuts the ribbon on new mobile sexual health unit

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    Trending Tags

  • Public Notices
No Result
View All Result
The Hendersonian
No Result
View All Result
Home News Local

Former mayor Johnson remembered as hard-working, happy, community champion

Vince Tweddell by Vince Tweddell
February 7, 2025
in Local
0
Former mayor Johnson remembered as hard-working, happy, community champion

Glenn Johnson

0
SHARES
562
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Former Henderson mayor and local businessman Glenn Johnson is remembered as a hard worker who came from difficult circumstances to achieve success.

Johnson died on Jan. 15, and his obituary appeared in the Hendersonian’s Feb. 2 e-newsletter. He was 88.

Johnson’s wife the past 25 years, Pem Pfisterer Clark, said during his 42 years at the helm of Matt’s News and Gifts, the shop was open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“He really never did close,” she said, adding Johnson averaged 60-70 hours of work each week.

Johnson came from tough circumstances, Pfisterer Clark said. His mother died of a brain tumor when he was five, and his father traveled for work, which caused Johnson to spend a great deal of his childhood in boardinghouses and under the care of the women who ran them.

As a boy, Johnson started working for Matt Brown, owner of Matt’s News Stand. His first role was newspaper delivery and his route was the 41-Strip, where at the time many taverns were located. Pfisterer Clark said Johnson found out that delivering tips later in the day—which allowed for more libation intake—was a good business strategy.

“The later he waited to deliver papers, the bigger tip he got,” she said.

In high school, Johnson worked at the store, sweeping floors, filling the soda machines and stocking shelves. At this time, he became interested in bodybuilding, said Pfisterer Clark, and won the Mr. Junior Kentucky title. Another interest was the circus, and Johnson trained in juggling and slack wire walking and even traveled to Florida to a Ringling Brothers training facility, but ultimately decided he didn’t want to live the nomad life and returned home, Pfisterer Clark said.

He later joined the Army, served two years in Korea, and came back to Henderson in 1959, when Brown offered to sell Matt’s to him.

In 2005, Matt’s was named the Henderson Chamber of Commerce’s small business of the year, according to Johnson’s obituary. Johnson also served for 37 years as a member of the Salvation Army’s advisory board and a Henderson County Fiscal Court magistrate. He also served as Henderson’s mayor from 1994-1999.

Johnson’s 5-year term came after a state law to remove elections from one of year in the election cycle, which required some officials to serve an extra year before the next election, said Bill “Stevens” Starks, who covered Johnson’s mayoral term when he was the news director at WSON.

Starks said the biggest issue during Johnson’s term was the mayor’s push to get rid of the downtown parking meters. Starks said the move came at a time when shopping malls were dominating the retail scene, and as a downtown businessman, Johnson wants to put more focus back on the area.

Starks said there may have been some initial concern, “but it really did help.” And of course, there’s never been an outcry to bring them back, Starks said.

He also mentioned the city commission at the time making a priority to upgrade parks.

As he was serving as mayor, Johnson still ran his business and most of the time he was there, Starks said. If someone had a beef, they could go to the store on Elm Street and find him there. He was “very accessible,” Starks said.  

Matt’s, and Johnson, also regularly served as an intermediary to sell tickets for fundraisers, school events, civic events and whatever other organizations needed help selling.

“Everyone always went to Glenn at Matt’s to kind of be there go-between to sell the tickets,” Starks said.

“He obviously loved the community,” Starks said.

At 65, Johnson retired, sold the store and started to go to work with his wife. Pfisterer Clark hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, Wedding Planning with Pem. He also began taking piano lessons from longtime teacher Grace Swingle—“And loved it, he loved it,” Pfisterer Clark. “Of course, he was the oldest student.”

They had fun with that, pinning lesson money in an envelope to his shirt, with Swingle pinning his lessons on his return home.

Soon after he retired, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Pfisterer Clark said he lived with the cancer for 22 years, which is “pretty much unheard of.” Remarkably he was always in a good mood, commenting daily about the good day he’d had.

And he was fed through a tube the last 6 ½ years—“I fed him,” Pfisterer Clark.

“He never complained about anything,” she said. “Never.”

Read Johnson’s obituary here.

Previous Post

HWU customers won’t get any relief for ‘catch-up bills’

Next Post

PAID ADVERT: St. Anthony’s wants to answer your questions

Vince Tweddell

Vince Tweddell

Vince Tweddell is the founder, publisher and editor of the Hendersonian.

Next Post
PAID ADVERT: St. Anthony’s wants to answer your questions

PAID ADVERT: St. Anthony's wants to answer your questions

Recent News

Pride ’25: Gatten honored as first recipient of award named after her late wife

Pride ’25: Gatten honored as first recipient of award named after her late wife

June 28, 2025

Briefs: Floyd wins insurance award; Lawson ‘exemplary;’ ‘A Fresh Perspective’ at Audubon; Todd up for young professional of the year

June 28, 2025
City commission briefs: Honoring Taylor; Joint resolution and a tolling authority for the new bridge

City commission briefs: Honoring Taylor; Joint resolution and a tolling authority for the new bridge

June 28, 2025
Tyson to invest $23.5 million in Robards complex

Tyson to invest $23.5 million in Robards complex

June 28, 2025
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Account
  • Log In

© 2025 The Hendersonian • Henderson, KY 42420

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Login

© 2025 The Hendersonian • Henderson, KY 42420