The 7 Little Johnstons stars are mourning a devastating loss, as Trent Johnston‘s mother, Mary Alice Maddox Johnston, aka “Nana,” has died.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, multiple Johnston family members took to social media with tributes to the grandmother, who had been featured on their TLC reality show.
Trent and Amber Johnston‘s daughter, Emma Johnston, posted a video via Instagram of herself painting Nana’s nails as she lay in a bed. Fittingly, Taylor Swift’s “loml” from her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department played.
“Our nana is in heaven with poppy watching over all of us 🕊️,” Emma captioned her update. “(We love you and I miss you sm).”
Trent’s dad, Walter “Pete” Lawrence Johnston, aka “Poppy”—who had also appeared on 7 Little Johnstons—died on March 10, 2024.
In the comments, Emma’s followers showered her with condolences in the wake of Nana’s death.
One Instagram user wrote, “So sorry for your loss…😔🕊️.”
Another fan shared, “So sorry for your loss. Two grandparents close together. Sending love, hugs and prayers to all of you during this difficult time. 🌹❤️😪.”
Someone else echoed, “My condolences to you and your entire family. May God comfort you.”
A different follower commented, “So very sorry. May her memories comfort you and all [who] knew and loved her🤍.”
Meanwhile, yet another Instagram user wrote, “Oh noo I’m so sorry 💔. My condolences to your dad and the whole family @emmajohnston.”
Also on Saturday, Amber posted a photo of Nana on Instagram alongside a single white heart emoji.
Trent and Amber’s middle daughter, Liz Johnston, took to her Instagram Stories with a photo of herself and her grandmother. “Will love you always Nana,” she wrote. In the overlain text on the picture, Liz added, “Love you. Love you more. Love you most. Love you a 1000.”
On Sept. 4, TLC released a trailer for Season 16 of 7 Little Johnstons. Nana was featured, as she asked Trent and Amber’s oldest daughter, Anna Johnston, about her boyfriend. Trent’s mother also appeared in Season 15 (and other seasons) as he and his sister, Heidi, navigated helping their aging parents.
In Season 15, Trent delivered a heart-wrenching eulogy for his father.
“Dad was a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan and Georgia Bulldogs fan,” Trent read aloud to his family. “I remember going to some Braves games with him at Fulton County Stadium. He would always park in this older gentleman’s driveway and maybe pay him a few dollars.”
Trent continued, “The peanut man would always say, ‘Hello, Mr. Pete!’ I was young, and I asked Dad how he always remembered his name. One of the many life lessons Dad taught all of us was that being a little person, people will always remember you. It is up to you on what they remember about you.”
In a different scene, while talking to producers, Trent said, “When your parents pass away, it is sad. But if you have a parent that was strong in their faith, a man like Poppy, it’s a blessing to us now because we got somebody else to talk to. And I’m just not saying that. I really, really mean that.”
