What topic for this blog post?  Thomas MacAntee reminded us that April 10 is Sibling Day. My mother-in-law and I have been going through old pictures, labeling as we go. I remembered that we found a picture of MIL’s aunts, her father’s sisters. Horace had one brother and six sisters.  So, this post honors Horace and his siblings.

PARENTS:  Henry Louis Johnson, born 9 February 1884 in Texas; died 16 September 1965 in Mexia, Limestone county, Texas[1]. Married 3 July 1910[2] to Nellie Kay Janet Black, born 16 January 1888 in Bowie, Montague county, Texas; died 2 May 1960 in Mexia, Texas.[3] They are buried in Point Enterprise Cemetery, Mexia, Texas.  All their children were born in Limestone county, Texas and all but one remained in Texas.  According to my mother-in-law, the siblings remained in close contact throughout their lives. Many of their descendants still live in or near Limestone county.

The siblings:

1. Katie Jean Johnson (13 May 1911, Horn Hill, Limestone County, Texas [4] -7 January 1986, Mexia, Limestone county, Texas[5]). Married to David Henry Brannan (1906 – 1990).[6]
2. Luther Clyde Johnson. (12 February 1912, Ben Hur, Limestone county, Texas -16 December 1938,  Mexia, Texas).[7] Married Lillie Robinson [8] (1909 – 1965).
3. Horace Clayton Johnson (mother-in-law’s father). (4 April 1915, Ben Hur, Texas [9] – 30 June 1991,  Wells, Cherokee county, Texas). [10] Married 23 October 1937 in Alto, Cherokee county, Texas[11] to Mabel Venette Reed (1918-1997).[12], [13]
4. Alice Pauline Johnson. (23 Aug 1917- 26 Apr 2016, Hewitt, McLennan county, Texas).[14] Married about 1937 to Homer Andrew Tarkington (1915-1994).[15], [16]
5. Anna Ruth Johnson. (13 November 1919- 2 September 2003, Mexia, Texas)[17]. Married 19 September 1939 [18] to Richard Elbert Romain (1918 – 1989). Divorced 1969.
6. Edith Nell Johnson. (3 March 1922 –  24 August 1998, Odessa, Ector county, Texas).[19] Married 22 June 1939 to Billy J Gray (1922 – 1976).[20]
7. Mary Lois Johnson (28 June 1925, Mexia, Texas – 17 July 2001, Denver, Colorado).[21] Married Stanley Ewing Davis (1923 – 1982).[22]
8. Marjorie Ann Johnson (7 October 1928, Mexia, Texas[23] –  1 May 2005, Stafford, Fort Bend, Texas[24]). Married Woody Burl Davis (1925 – 2001).[25]

Some facts:

• 1937 – two weddings, Horace & Alice Pauline.
• 1938- Luther Clyde died.
• 1939 – two more weddings, Anna Ruth and Edith Nell.
• Per oral family history, Horace was only mechanic in Cherokee County during WWII so wasn’t drafted because farmers in the area needed his expertise to keep their farm equipment running.
• World War II service:
  • David Brannan, Navy, 19 April 1943 – 29 September 1945 [26]
  • Stanley E Bradford, Army, 25 Feb 1943 – 31 Jan 1946[27]
  • Woody Burl Davis, Marine Corps, 6 Jul 1942 – 14 June 1945[28]
• 6 of the 8 siblings lived longer than their spouses.
• 1944 or 1945- three more weddings -Katie Jean, Marjorie and Mary Lois.
• Buried in Point Enterprise Cemetery, Mexia, Texas
  • Alice Pauline Johnson Tarkington
  • Anna Ruth Johnson Romain
  • Marjorie Ann Johnson Davis

REFLECTION

 I was undecided about what to write for this week. The recognition of a National Sibling Day provided inspiration. Writing helps with two genealogy goals –review and clean-up files for Johnson- Reed family and post a story about that family.  As often happens, I came across some previously unknown information. I need to verify before I can tell you more.  According to MIL, her dad (Horace) was spoiled by his sisters.

The number of source notes for this short piece looks overwhelming.  I considered posting without the sources. Recognize that most of the notes are from one of these repositories: Social Security Administration, Texas Department of State Health Services or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with some personal copies and obituaries thrown in. Including sources is a  genealogical standard.  

What helped: RootsMagic family tree with names and dates, some completed citations and some document copies, access to online trees and databases. Recent look at old pictures.

What didn’t help: incomplete citations, copies of some documents missing. Duplicated some records unnecessarily.

What I learned: there are always new stories to be found.

To do: continue review and clean-up process for the Johnson-Reed family.  Remember to look closely at both digital and paper files before making extra copies.

© Susan Posten Ellerbee and Posting Family Roots blog, 2021

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SOURCES

[1] “Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” digital images, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : accessed & printed ), certificate for Henry L. Johnson; citing Texas State Department of Health Services, Austin, Texas.

[2] Online family tree; no document or source attached.

[3] “Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed & downloaded 27 February 2020), entry for Nell Johnson; citing Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas; certificate no. 37422.

[4] “Texas, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1903-1932,” digital images, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : viewed & downloaded 12 April 2021), entry for Johnson female; citing Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas.

[5] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, FamilySearch ((http://www.familysearch.org   : viewed 12 April 2021), Jean Brannan, death Jan 1986.

[6] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021), David H. Brannan, 457-03-9640, before 1951.

[7] “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” digital images, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : viewed & downloaded 12 July 2020), entry for Clyde L Johnson; citing Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas.

[8] “Funeral services held Monday for Mexia High School Teacher,” obituary, Mexia (Texas) Daily News, 12 April 1965; Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : viewed & downloaded 11 April 2021).

[9] Texas, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas Department of Health, delayed birth certificate LL18432 (23 February 1942; copy issued 26 Oct 2011), Horace Clayton Johnson; Limestone County Texas County Clerk, Groesbeck, Texas; personal copy.

[10] Horace Clayton Johnson, death certificate no number (30 June 1991), Texas State Department of Health, County Clerk’s Office, Angelina county, Texas, Lufkin, Angelina county, Texas; personal copy.

[11] Cherokee county, Texas, marriage record no. 333 (23 October 1937), Horace C. Johnson and Mable Venette Reed; Cherokee county, Texas, Alto, Texas; personal copy.

[12] [No first name] Reed, birth certificate 46451 (15 February 1918), Alto, Cherokee Co., Texas Texas State Board of Health, Vital Statistics Unit, Austin, Texas; Photostatic copy issued 27 Sep 2011.

[13] Mable Venette Johnson, death certificate 8245 (12 July 1997), Texas State Department of Health Services, Austin, Texas, County Clerk’s office, Cherokee County, Texas, Alto, Cherokee Co., Texas.; photostatic copy issued 22 July 1997.

[14] Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed, viewed, downloaded 8 December 2016), memorial page for Alice Pauline Johnson Tarkington, Find A Grave Memorial # 161721169, citing Point Enterprise (Mexia, Limestone County, TX), memorial created by Ann Lewis Dickenson.

[15] “Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1932,” digital images, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : accessed & downloaded ), Amendment to Certificate of Birth for Homer Andrew Tarkington; citing Texas Department of Health, Austin,Texas; state file no. 26796

[16] Social Security Administration, “U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021), entry for Homer Andrew Tarkington; citing Social Security Administration, Washington, D.C..

[17] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021), Anna R. Romain, 462-03-0924, before 1951.

[18] “Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002,” database, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021); citing Texas Department of State Health Service, Austin, Texas.

[19] “Edith Nell Gray,” obituary, The Odessa (Texas) American, 26 August 1998; digital image, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : viewed & downloaded 12 April 2021). page 11, columns 1-2.

[20] “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” digital images, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : viewed & downloaded 19 July 2020), Billy Gray; citing Texas Department of State Health Services. Austin, Texas.

[21] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021), Mary L. Bradford, 463-26-8036, before 1951.

[22] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 13 April 2021), Stanley Edwin Bradford, 521227675.

[23] “Texas, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1903-1932,” digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed, downloaded, printed 7 December 2020), entry for Margie Anne Johnson; citing Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas.

[24] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 13 April 2021), Marjorie A. Davis, 457-36-0447, before 1951.

[25] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021), Woody B. Davis, 449-42-1703, before 1951.

[26]  “U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010,” database, Ancestry ( http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021), entry for David H Brannan; citing Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs..

[27] “U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com     :    viewed 12 April 2021), entry for Stanley E Bradford; citing  Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs..

[28] Social Security Administration, “U.S. Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 April 2021), Woody B. Davis, 449-42-1703, before 1951.