Father: George Leamon Johnson
Mother: Mary Maude Jones

Spouse: Jacob Wesley Kenyon - b: 13/Sep/1907 - Gentry Co., MO
  d: 16/Nov/1943 - St. Francis Hosp., Maryville, Nodaway Co., MO - bur: High Ridge Cem., Stanberry, Gentry Co.
 m: 19/Aug/1930 - King City, Gentry Co., MO

Child-1: Bobby Lee
          2: Beatrice (Betty) Louise
          3: James Wesley
          4: Rex Olin

Biographical Details:

Dorothy Luella was the oldest daughter of Leamon and Maude Johnson and was born in Gentry County, Missouri, on June 17, 1906, presumably in Cooper Township.  She married Jacob Wesley Kenyon on August 19, 1930.  His older sister was Mary Inez, wife of Dorothy's older bother, Ray.  Indeed, the two families lived on neighboring farms about three miles southwest of the town of Stanberry in Cooper Township.  Both the Johnson and Kenyon families descend from early settlers of Gentry County.¹  Concomitantly, many of their descendents remain.^2,3  Wesley and Dorothy were the parents of four children.  Sadly, Wesley was injured in a farming accident in 1943 and died in the St. Francis Hospital in Maryville shortly afterward.  Dorothy survived until 1999.  Both are buried in the High Ridge Cemetery in Stanberry.

1.. Anonymous, The History of Gentry and Worth Counties, Missouri, National Historical Company, St. Joseph, MO, 1882:   pgs. 468-9.  (Available electronically at cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/mocohist/id/42794)
     "GEORGE T. KENYON was born in Cayuga, New York, October 17, 1833. His father, Benjamin Kenyon, was born in Dutchess County, New York, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Bishop, was also born in that state.  George T. spent his youth on a farm and in attending the common schools.  He came West in 1859, and located in Jackson Township, Gentry County, Missouri.  He has 165 acres of land, with 120 acres fenced, a good house and improvements and a bearing orchard, with some variety of small fruits. He resides on section 21, township 62, range 32.  He was married December 9, 1862, in Gentry County, to Miss Helen Boner, daughter of John and Mary Boner.  Mr. K. has one daughter by this union, Laura H.  This wife died February 20, 1864.  Mr. Kenyon was again married in this county in December, 1866, to Miss Mary M. Boner, a sister of his first wife.  They have three children:  Andrew John W. and William Arthur.  Mr. Kenyon is Democratic in politics, and was nominated by his party as county surveyor, and elected in the fall of 1862, and again at the general election of 1880, he was re-elected to the same position, which he now holds.  He served in the war of the rebellion, first in Colonel Cranor's regiment, in which he was captain of Company K.  In December, 1864, he enlisted in the Thirty-Ninth Missouri VoIunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war."
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2. K. Bovaird, N. Newman, E. Miller, B. Phillips, N. Summa, and R. Pierce, Once Upon a Railroad, Stanberry, Missouri 1879-1979, Inter-Collegiate Press, Shawnee Mission, KS, 1979: pg. 302.
     "George T. Kenyon   George T. Kenyon, son of Benjamin and Mary Bishop (Kenyon) was born October 17, 1833, in Cayuga County, New York.  He spent his youth there on a farm.  He came west to Gentry County in 1859.  In December 1862, he married Helen Boner, daughter of John and Mary Boner and to this union one daughter, Laura, was born.  In February 1864, his wife died.  He was again married December 16, 1866, ro Mary Melcina Boner, a sister to his first wife.  To this union were born three sons, John, Anadrew and William.
     He served in the Civil War, first in Colonel David Cranor's regiment in which he was Captain of Company K.  In November 1864, he enlisted in the 39th Missouri Volunteer Infantry and served until the close of the war.
     In February 1866, he purchased land in Jackson Township, southeast of Stanberry.  He spent the rest of his life on this farm.
     He was a Democrat and was nominated by his party as county surveyor and elected in the fall of 1862 and again in the general election of 1880.  As an early county surveyor he possibly laid out many roads being used today.
     Mr. Kenyon, both wives and daughter, Laura, were charter members of the Island City Christian Church.  He served on the church board at the Cranor Meeting House where the church had its beginning.  He was a charter member of the Island City and Mt. Pleasant A. F. and A. Mason Lodges he helped to organize.  He served as secretary of both lodges.   Submitted by great-granddaughter, Nadine McCampbell"

     "John Wesley and Ira Belle Kenyon   John Wesley Kenyon, the son of George T. and Mary Melcina Boner Kenyon, was born August 16, 1869, on the family farm five miles southeast of Stanberry.  He lived all his life on this farm except the last two and one-half years when he moved with his daughter Lucretia Snider, and family to South Missouri.  Later they moved to St. Joseph.  He died at the home of another daughter Inez Johnson, February 4, 1954.
     In April 1904, John married Ira Belle Perkins, daughter of Jacob and Mary Miller Perkins (who was the son of John H. Perkins).  Ira Belle was born in Gentry County, July 20, 1880, and died October 18, 1950, living all her married life on the same farm..
     To this union five children were born:  Mary Inez, now Mrs. Ray Johnson of Stanberry; Jacob Wesley, deceased; Bessie Lorene, Mrs. Russell Shinault, deceased; Annie Lucretia, now Mrs. Walter Snider of Salt Lake City, Utah; and Mollie Irene, who passed away at the age of eight of heart leakage, aggravated by the after-effects of measles.
     Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon were kind, thoughtful Christians with love for their family and neighbors and were proud of their heritage.  John joined the Island City Christian Church in 1888, and Ira joined in 1897, both remained members until death.  He was a member of the Mason Lodge..   Submitted by their granddaughter, Nadine McCampbell"
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3. "Rites Held Sunday for Member of Pioneer Gentry County Family:   John W. Kenyon, age 84, a member of one of the pioneer Gentry county families, died last Thursday afternoon at the home of his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ray L. Johnson, southwest of Stanberry.  He had been ill and confined to a St. Joseph hospital for about one week before being taken to the Johnson home.
     Prior to entry in the hospital, he had been making his home with another son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Snider, at St. Joseph.
     Funeral rites were held for him Sunday afternoon at the Stanberry Christian church, with the Rev. Edward Carter, King City, officiating.  Burial was in the High Ridge cemetery.  Services were under the direction of the Phillips mortuary.
     Mr. Kenyon was the son of the late George T. and Mary Kenyon.  He was born on the Kenyon homestead about four miles south of Stanberry.  This farm was his home for nearly 83 years.
     He was married in 1904 to Miss Ina Bell (sic - Ira Belle Perkins).  She died Oct. 18, 1950.  Several months later Mr. Kenyon went Leeton, Mo., to live with his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Snider.  The Snider family moved to St. Joseph last December and brought Mr. Kenyon there with them.
     He was a charter member of the Island City Christian church.  Surviving him are three daughters, Mrs. Johnson, at whose home he died; Mrs. Snider, with whom he had lived for several years, and Mrs. Russell Shinaut, King City."  (obituary: Stanberry Headlight, Stanberry, MO, Thur., Feb. 11, 1954.)
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4. 1940 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 145B, (microfilm: roll T627_2106; img. 657).

5. Marriage Records, Gentry County, Albany, MO:  Bk. 10, pg. 233, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 37665; img. 826).

6. Death Certificates, Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO, (Death Certificate No. 38810 - Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO).

7. Don Raymond,"High Ridge Cemetery", unpublished. (Gentry County MOGenWeb Archives, 2005.)

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7. Death Master File, Social Security Administration, Washington, DC, continuously updated.

8. Nadine McCampell, Johnson Family History, The Printery, Albany, MO, 1982: pgs. 190-7.

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