Her Book

The Johnson Family

1820 -- The Johnson family lived for many years on the estate of Lord Downs at Topcliffe, England. The family trade was the making of baskets, furniture, baby carriages, etc. from especially grown and treated willow. Mary and George Johnson were the parents of William Henry Johnson, born November 30, 1820 near the town of Manchester in England.

An 1820 watercolor of the cotton mills in the industrial city of Manchester.

Issue of William and Charlotte Johnson

Eliza Ann 1842-1918; m. John Harley of Georgetown, Ontario
                  Children: Nellie, Fred, Stanley, Mable

Mary Jane 1844-1890; m. David Burbee; d. in Union, NE
                  Children: Jessie, m. ?Gibson, had 5 children, William, Hubert, ??

Matilda 1852-1919; m. Alfred Harlan
                  Children: 7 children   See complete profile

William Henry II x-1894; m. Eliza Jane Kinsomn, in Galt, Ontario
                  Children: (2) Willie Jr. (died young in "a home" in San Jose);
                  & Lila, m. Wm Dreischmeyer and had two daughters;
Willie was a gunsmith. One day a gun he was cleaning discharged accidentally
and although he survived, a bullet lodged in a lung, which caused tuberculosis
and he had severe lung problems the rest of his life. He tried a change of
climate in California, but he returned to Plattsmouth, NE where he died.

Lewisa 1854-1946; m. Christopher Barnes, Ontario
                  Children: Eva, Claire

1864 - William married again to Catherine Rogers (born in Scotland; d. 1901)
While on their homestead in Canada, when money became scarce William would take his violin, join up with a minstrel show and eventually come home with money which he would turn over to his wife, Catherine. He was some 20 years older than his second wife, but she took care of all finances for the good of the family.

When in Nebraska, William was a stationary engineer at the Burlington RR roundhouse, at which he worked for 10 hours a day, six days a week. But on Sundays and in the evenings, his grandson remembered him as a jolly soul and kindly, and fascinating them with his "fiddle playing" and comic little tunes.

Issue of William and Catherine

Eleanor Elizabeth "Nell" 1867-1960; m. Edward Michele, 1890;
                  Children:
                  Katie; m. Cummins
                  Burnice; m. Hilty
                  Marguerite; m. Webster
                  Lila;

Minnie 1870-1945; m. J.W. Courson, 1901, Wahoo, NE;
                  m.2) Robert Hardy, 1910, California (d. 1914 car wreck)

James William 1873-1941; m. Bonnie Beatrice Lambrigger, 1907, Boise, ID;
                  Children:
                  James Lloyd
                  Halley C.
                  Bonnie Mowitza, m. Biddle

I have a wedding announcement for Minnie Johnson to J.W. Courson to be on:
"Thursday morning, August eight, Nineteen hundred and one, at seven o'clock,
at St. Johns Church, Wahoo, Nebraska"

I also have in my possession a death notice for Mrs. Catherine Johnson, Minnie's mother, date of death being Sept. 9, 1901, with services to be held at the very same church. This is interesting as Mrs. Johnson died exactly one month and one day after her youngest daughter married - at 7 a.m. In the stories that were handed down, no one wrote about Minnie being married to the gentleman with this name of Courson. So the mystery of this little story was buried with those concerned, I guess. I would surely be interested if anyone can tell me.


From H.B. Barton's stories: H.B. remembers his mother, "Tillie" (Matilda), speaking of her step-uncles, William and Jack Rogers. "Uncle Will" was a surveying engineer for the Union Pacific RR and helped run the line from Council Bluffs to Portland, Oregon. (H.B. remembers him because of his huge handlebar mustache). "Uncle Jack" was a chainman for a surveying crew, also.

Tillie also told her son about school days in Galt, Ontario, Canada and about the life they lived for a while on an Erie Canal boat.