Father: John
Andrew Johnson
Mother: Delilah Russell
Spouse: Bertha Agnes Hammonds
b: 14/Aug/1892 - Gentry Co., MO
d: 12/Feb/1967 - bur: High
Ridge Cem., Stanberry, Gentry Co., MO
m: 15/Oct/1911 - Gentry Co., MO
Child-1: Clifford Eugene - b: 5/Sep/1912 - Cooper Twp.,
Gentry Co., MO
d: 3/Oct/1976 - Jasper Co., MO - bur: High Ridge Cem., Stanberry,
Gentry Co.
m: Pauline Clark - 4/Oct/1940
2: Naoma
Fern - b: 9/Jun/1914 - Cooper Twp., Gentry Co., MO
d: 1/Dec/1994 - bur: Prarie Home Cem., Graham, Nodaway Co.,
MO
m: Marvin Alvin Clark - 25/Jul/1932 - St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., MO
3: Donald
Wayne - b: 9/Mar/1919 - Cooper Twp., Gentry Co., MO
d: 4/Feb/2006 - Clinton Co., MO - bur: High Ridge Cem., Stanberry,
Gentry Co.
m: Mary Lorraine Kyger - 17/Aug/1941
4: Herbert
Vincent - b: 29/Sep/1924 - Hopkins, Nodaway Co., MO
d: 3/Sep/2014 - Kokomo, Howard Co., IN
m: Margaret Ruthada Mattern - 8/Apr/1945 - Leipsic, Putnam Co., OH
Biographical Details:
Cleo Andrew Johnson was the son of John Andrew and Delilah Russell Johnson and was one of a pair of fraternal twins (the other being his sister, Leah). He was born on October 8, 1892, in rural Cooper Township in Gentry County, Missouri; however, the family moved to a farm at the outskirts of the town of Stanberry about 1905. He evidently grew to manhood in this locality and was married to Bertha Agnes Hammonds in Stanberry on October 15, 1911, by J. N. Darnell. Four children can be attributed to them, viz., Clifford, Naoma, Don, and Herb.1,2 Accordingly, a plat of Gentry County published in 1914, indicates that C. Johnson owned eighty acres in the center of Section Twenty-four of Township Sixty-two of Range Thirty-three.3 This is further supported by census records of 1920, which reveal that the Johnson family was then living in Jackson Township just north of Island City and that Cleo was engaged in farming. Indeed, he had evidently bought this land from his father. Even so, the population schedule of the 1930 US Census for Nodaway County, Missouri, indicates that Cleo had become an insurance salesman living with his family in the nearby town of Maryville. Moreover, Cleo and Bertha's youngest son, Herb, was reportedly born in 1924 in Hopkins, Missouri, a small town in Nodaway County northeast of Maryville near the border with the state of Iowa. Concomitantly, it may be presumed from a plat published in 1930 that in the early 1920's Cleo sold his farm in Jackson Township to his uncle, Leamon Johnson. Nevertheless, by 1940 the family had returned to Gentry County and were living in Cooper Township and Cleo was, again, farming. Cleo's motivation for these changes of occupation and associated moves is not known. However, family tradition suggests that Cleo Johnson was a rather restless man and tried several different occupations. Moreover, he seemed to be somewhat susceptible to various "get rich quick" schemes and pursued these with unimpressive results. Even so, he was evidently a devoted husband and father and was very interested in some of the more debatable and obscure aspects of religious belief. Accordingly, he was not convinced that any organized church was "right" and, therefore, for many years would not become an official member of any congregation (although he had been baptized as a youth and had a "recommendation letter", which he seems to have kept at home). Indeed, some vivid impressions remembered by younger family members were Biblical disputations between Cleo and his brother-in-law, Homer, which typically occurred after dinner on hot Sunday afternoons. Cleo Andrew Johnson died on September 19, 1967, and had been preceded in death by his wife by only seven months. As with many other of their relatives, they are both buried in the High Ridge Cemetery at Stanberry. Although Cleo had a reputation as a hard and argumentative debater throughout a good portion of his life, he evidently softened near the end, at one time remarking to his nephew that people should love more. Indeed, this, perhaps, represents a personal epiphany and in any case such a sentiment is at the very heart of Christian faith.Source Notes and Citations:
1. "Donald Wayne Johnson, 86, of Clinton, died Saturday, February 4, 2006, at Westwood Nursing Center.
Preceding him in death were his parents, Cleo Andrew Johnson and Bertha Agnes Hammond Johnson; one brother; one sister; a niece and a nephew.
Survivors include his wife, the former Mary Lorraine Kyger of the home; two daughters, Katherine Ann (William M.) Sartain, and Betty Jane (Rodney) Ruppel; one brother, Rev. Herbert V. Johnson; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be Tuesday, February 7, at High Ridge Cemetery in Stanberry." (death notice: Daily Democrat, Clinton, MO, Mon., Feb. 6, 2006.)
back to bio..2. "Herbert Vincent Johnson ('Mr. J'), Evangelist, 89, Kokomo, IN, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday September 3, 2014, with loving family members by his side. He was a member of Chapel Hill Christian Church. Herbert was born September 29, 1924 in Hopkins, MO, the last child of Cleo and Bertha Johnson. He married Margaret Ruthada Johnson on April 8, 1945 in Leipsic, OH, in the church where her father was minister, with the ceremony performed by her brother Chalmers.
He is survived by their three daughters Mary (Stuart) Mason of Kokomo, IN, Sherry (Mike) Penrod of Columbus, OH and Debbie (Denny) Williams of West Frankfort, IL, grandchildren Marissa McGowen of Kokomo, IN, Vince (Gina) McGowen of Indianapolis, IN. Michael (Shannon) Penrod of Independence, KY, Matt (Jenny) Penrod of Columbus, IN, Mandy (Bill) Tantarelli of Worthington, OH, Christian (Jenny) Penrod of Richmond, IN, Miles Williams and Bryan Williams both of West Frankfort, IL & Macey Mason of Kokomo, IN, great grandchildren Sophie, Isabella & Gus McGowen, Claire, Audrey, Nora, Jon, Allison, Elaina, Elliana, Adeline, Anderson & Sadie Penrod, Carter & Lucy Tantarelli. He was preceded in death by his parents, his two brothers Clifford and Don Johnson, and his sister Naomi Clark, grandson Andrew Penrod and his wife Ruthada.
Herbert and Ruthada met while both attended Johnson Bible College. Herbert's ministry, 50 years of service, included churches in Bluff City, TN, Custer, OH, McComb, OH, Bryan, OH, West Frankfort, IL, and Burlington, IN. In addition Herbert was very active in those communities, serving the Boy Scouts, church camps, radio ministries, community concerts, and ministerial organizations and generously giving of his time for many, especially programs serving women and children of the Howard County Children's Center, Chaplain of AA and hospitals, Elder and Sunday School teacher at Chapel Hill Christian Church in Kokomo, IN. He continued to minister to others into his 80's by conducting weddings, funerals, baptisms, and Bible studies.
Before passing, a celebration service of his life was enjoyed with his family August 30, 2014 and was recognized by Chapel Hill Christian Church, W. Alto Rd, Kokomo, IN for his lifetime of Ministry on August 31, 2014. Arrangements are being handled by Shirley & Stout Funeral Home & Crematory." (obituary: Newspaper unknown)
back to bio.3. Anonymous, Standard Atlas of Gentry County, Missouri, Geo A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, IL, 1914.
C. Johnson: 1) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 24; SW¼ of NE¼ - 40 acres. 2) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 24; NW¼ of SE¼ - 40 acres.
back to bio.
Additional Citations:
4. 1920 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pg. 134A, (microfilm: roll T625_919; img. 838).5. 1930 US Census Population Schedule for Nodaway County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pg. 183B, (microfilm: roll T626_1215; img. 364).
6. 1940 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pg. 88A, (microfilm: roll T627_2106; img. 539).
7. Marriage Application, Nodaway County, Maryville, MO: Oct. 13, 1911. (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 31438; img. 103).
8. Marriage Records, Nodaway County, Maryville, MO: Bk. G, pg. 595, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 9806; img. 311).
9. World War I Draft Registration Cards, National Personnel Records Center, National Archives-Southeast Region, Morrow, GA, (microfilm: roll MO-1683214; img. 4979).
10. Don Raymond,"High Ridge Cemetery", unpublished. (Gentry County MOGenWeb Archives, 2005.)
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11. Marriage Records, Buchanan County, St. Joseph, MO: Bk. 51, pg. 7, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 46220; img. 11).
12. Prarie Home Cemetery, Nodaway County, Missouri (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=30975&CScn=Prairie+Home&CScntry=4&CSst=26&CScnty=1470&, continuously updated).
13. Death Master File, Social Security Administration, Washington, DC, continuously updated.
14. Nadine McCampell, Johnson Family History, The Printery, Albany, MO, 1982: pgs. 155-65.