Father: James
M. (Mallard or Mallory) Johnson
Mother: Sarah Ann Thompson
Spouse-1: Laura A. Floyd - b: 28/Mar/1870 - Gentry Co.,
MO
d: 26/Jan/1901 - Gentry Co., MO - bur: Cooper
Cem.
m: 6/Mar/1890 - Gentry Co., MO
Child-1: Walter Franklin - b: 4/Jan/1893 - Gentry Co.,
MO
d: 22/Sep/1965 - Ojai, Ventura Co., CA - bur: Nordhoff Cem.
m: Vera Garrett - 6/Feb/1916
2: Lucy
Verna - b: 17/Mar/1894 - Gentry Co., MO
d: 22/Feb/1908 - Gentry Co., MO - bur: Cooper Cem.
Spouse-2: Mary Maude Jones - b: 29/Jul/1880 - Fairbury,
Livingston Co., IL
d: 15/May/1925 - Cooper Twp., Gentry Co., MO - bur:
Lafayette Cem., Nodaway Co.
m: 3/Dec/1902 - Stanberry, Gentry Co., MO
Child-1: Raymond (Ray) Lelan4
2: Dorothy
Luella
3: James
Shelby
4: Leamon
Hershel
5: Harry
Clay
6: Erva
Belle
Biographical Details:
George Leamon Johnson was the fourth surviving child of James M. and Sarah Ann Thompson Johnson; however, he was their sixth child and had been preceded by a brother and sister neither of whom survived childhood.1 He was born in Gentry County near the village of Island City in March of 1862. Obviously, this was after the extended Thompson-Johnson family had returned from the West and settled permanently in northwest Missouri, with, perhaps, the exception of a short stay in western Iowa in the 1870's. By all accounts, "Leamon", as he was familiarly known, spent his childhood and entire adult life in Gentry County. Laura A. Floyd and Leamon Johnson were married on March 6, 1890, by Rev. H. P. Tandy. Older members of the family that in later life remembered Laura, spoke well of her. Unfortunately, she died early in 1901 after which, Leamon married Mary Maude Jones in December of 1902. They were married in Gentry County by Rev. N. J. Nicholson. She was more than eighteen years his junior and had lived in the household of Leamon's older brother, James Alan Johnson, since the age of twelve, i.e., since about 1892. Leamon and Maude Johnson were the parents of six children. It is evident from family accounts that Maude experienced many difficulties in her life, not the least of which was tuberculosis which she contracted about 1918 or 1919 and from which she died before reaching her forty-fifth birthday. Her untimely death left Leamon as a widower for the last twenty-five years of his life. Nadine Johnson McCampbell, a granddaughter of George Leamon Johnson, has recounted some personal reminiscences of her grandfather in her Johnson Family History. Among these are that at the time of his death in 1951, he was the last living charter member of the Island City Christian Church and also the last of the men that originally organized the Crosswhite rural school district.2 According to other family sources, the lumber for the schoolhouse was hauled from St. Joseph by Leamon's older brother, Jim, and the building was erected by the men of the community, including the Johnson brothers, Jim, John, and Leamon. This would have been about the year 1898. At this time, the three brothers lived on adjoining farms at the southern edge of Cooper Township.3 Later, as adults four of Leamon's children, Ray, Dorothy, Shelby, and Hershel, also settled on the home and adjoining farms and members of the extended Johnson family have remained resident in this same locality throughout the twentieth century.Source Notes and Citations:
1. Nadine McCampell, Johnson Family History, The Printery, Albany, MO, 1982: pg. 169.
"George Leamon was the 6th child of James Mallard and Sarah Ann Thompson Johnson. He was born March 1, 1862 near Island City, Missouri in Gentry County. On March 6, 1890 he was married to Laura A. Floyd, daughter of Jarriott and Mary A. Floyd. Two children were born to this union, Walter Franklin and Lucy Verna. Laura died January 26, 1901. She is buried in the Cooper Cemetery south of Stanberry, as is her daughter, Lucy Verna, who died on February 22, 1909. (George) Leamon remarried on December 3, 1902 to Mary Maude Jones, the daughter of Charles and Sarah Ann Jones. Maude was born July 20, 1880, at Fairbury, Illinois, but had lived with Jim and Cynthia Johnson since she was 12 years old. Leamon and Maude were parents of six children, Raymond Leland, Dorothy Luella, James Shelby, Leamon Hershel, Harry Clay and Erva Belle. Erva Belle died June 1, 1939. Maude passed away May 15, 1925. They are buried in the Lafayette Cemetery, west of Island City in Nodaway County, Missouri.
On March 1, 1949, Leamon's 87th birthday, he had surgery which required the removal of a leg due to poor circulation. That didn't stop Leamon from enjoying a Christmas program in 1950 at the Crosswhite school in which many of his grandchildren participated. All the pupils there that school year were his grandchildren, except three.
Leamon, his brother James and their father, James Mallard, threshed wheat for J. J. Stansbury, whose farm was a part of where the city of Stanberry is now located. The town was named after J. J. Stansbury.
Leamon was a farmer and at his death, May 19, 1951, was the last of the charter members of the Island City Christian Church and the last of the men who established the Crosswhite school district and helped build the schoolhouse. During his lifetime he had seen the community change from a trackless prairie country, with log houses and candlelight, to highway, cars and all modern conveniences which go with electricity. While his entire life was spent in a small radius, his influence was far reaching, as he possessed many of the homely virtues which has made our country great, and left his children and grandchildren a priceless heritage of honesty, cheerfulness and courage in the face of great odds.
Three grandchildren preceded Leamon in death and at his death he left 27 surviving grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Grandpa took joy in us, his grandchildren, when his health was good. But as his 'golden years' came there were times his health didn't permit him to enjoy us and of course, we all grew and began to scatter. That is the progress of life we all must face.
One special time I can remember spending time with Grandpa was when myself and a few other grandchildren were at his house and we were in his orchard, south of his house. We were looking for fourleaf clovers and made a game of it. I remember his telling us he planted his orchard (mostly peach trees) for his grandchildren, so they would always have something to eat. I also remember other times spent with Grandpa at his homeplace before it was destroyed.
Mary Maude Johnson moved with her parents to Denver, Colorado when she was 16 months old. When she was 12 years years old she came to Missouri and lived with Jim and Cynthia Johnson until she married Leamon Johnson, when she was 22 years old. Maude's death was due to consumption, (TB), an illness she had fought against for 6 or 7 years, trying in vain to regain her health, Leamon had held a farm sale and started with his wife Maude, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they hoped the climate would help her. But when they reached Kansas City, Maude took suddenly worse and they brought her back to Stanberry. She died early the next morning. Maude joined the Island City Church when she was a young girl and retained her membership there until her death.
George Leamon passed away May 10, 1951 and is buried in the Lafayette Cemetery."
back to bio.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. 299.
"Leamon Johnson George Leamon Johnson, son of James Mallard and Sarah Ann Thompson Johnson, was born March 1, 1862, in Gentry County near Island City. On March 6, 1890, he was married to Laura Floyd and to this union two children were born, Walter Franklin and Lucy Verna. Mrs. Johnson died while the children were young. He remarried December 3, 1902, to Mary Maud Jones, daughter of Sarah Ann and Charles Jones. Maud was born July 20, 1880, at Fairbury, Illinois. To this union were born six children: Ray, Dorothy, Shelby, Hershel, Harry and Erva Belle, who died in 1939.
Leamon was a farmer and at his death, May 10, 1951, was the last of the charter members of the Island City Christian Church and the last of the men who established the Crosswhite school district and helped build the schoolhouse. During his lifetime he had seen the community change from trackless prairie country, with log houses and candlelight, to highway, cars and all modern conveniences which go with electricity.
Mr. Johnson, his brother, James, and their father, James Mallard Johnson, threshed wheat for J. J. Stansbury, whose farm was part of where the city of Stanberry is now located. In December 1950, when Mr. Johnson was 88, he attended a Christmas program at the Crosswhite school, and all of the pupils there were his grandchildren except three. He took joy in his grandchildren, and at his death he left 27 living grandchildren, three deceased grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Submitted by granddaughter, Nadine Johnson McCampbell"
back to bio.3a. W. P. Bullock, Gentry County 1896, Press of L. Hardman, St. Joseph, MO, 1896.
G. L. Johnson: 1) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 13; S½ of NW¼ - 80 acres. 2) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 13; NW¼ of SW¼ - 40 acres.b. Anonymous, Standard Atlas of Gentry County, Missouri, Geo A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, IL, 1914.
G. L. Johnson: 1) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 13; S½ of NW¼ - 80 acres. 2) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 13; NW¼ of SW¼ - 40 acres. 3) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 13; SE¼ of SE¼ of NE¼ - 10 acres.c. Anonymous, Plat Book of Gentry County, Missouri, W. W. Hixson & Co., Rockford, IL, 1930. (Available electronically at digital.library.umsystem.edu/)
G. L. Johnson: 1) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 13; S½ of NW¼ - 80 acres. 2) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 13; NW¼ of SW¼ - 40 acres. 3) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 24; SW¼ of NE¼ - 40 acres. 4) Twp. 62 N; Rng. 33 W; Sec. 24; NW¼ of SE¼ - 40 acres.
back to bio.
Additional Citations:
4. 1900 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pgs. 195B-195A, (microfilm: roll T623_855; imgs. 396-7).5. 1910 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pg. 189A, (microfilm: roll T624_781; img. 376).
6. 1920 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pg. 67A, (microfilm: roll T625_919; img. 702).
7. 1930 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pg. 76A, (microfilm: roll T626_1188; img. 153).
8. 1940 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC: pg. 89B, (microfilm: roll T627_2106; img. 542).
9. Marriage Records, Gentry County, Albany, MO: Bk. 2, pg. 412, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 37663; img. 223)).
10. Marriage Records, Gentry County, Albany, MO: Bk. 5, pg. 426, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 37664; img. 360)).
11. marriage notice: Albany Ledger; Albany, MO, Fri., Mar. 21, 1890.
12. marriage notice: Albany Ledger; Albany, MO, Fri., Nov. 21, 1902.
13. List of Charter Members - Island City Christian Church, Centennial Homecoming Booklet - June 11, 1978, Stanberry, MO, unpublished.
14. Death Certificates, Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO, (Death Certificate No. 16146 - Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO MO, & Death Certificate No. 14759 - Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO).
15. Don Raymond, "Cooper Cemetery", unpublished. (Gentry County MOGenWeb Archives, 2002.); Terris C. Howard, "Cooper Cemetery", unpublished. (Gentry County MOGenWeb Archives, 2002.)
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16. Nordhoff Cemetery, Ventura County, California (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1113770&CScn=Nordhoff&CScntry=4&CSst=6&, continuously updated).
17. Death Master File, Social Security Administration, Washington, DC, continuously updated.