Benjamin Samuel Johnson
A short history as told by his son James (Uncle Jim).
On Thursday, May 4, 1939 at 2:40 a.m., at Mesa Hospital, Benjamin Samuel Johnson passed away. He was born April 20, 1853 in Santaquin, Utah. He married Susan Elvira Martineau on November 2, 1874 in the Salt Lake Endowment House. She was born August 14, 1856 at Parowan, Iron County, Utah.
They were called on a mission by President Brigham Young on January 20,1876, and left Logan Utah on February 6, 1876, in the company of nine other families under James Turman as captain. They were told to stay until released.
They stopped in Moencopi during the summer and returned to Johnson, Utah (near Kanab), for some of their furniture, etc. During their stay in Johnson, Bertha Elvira, their first child, was born on March 2, 1877. The child died March 4, 1877 and was buried in Johnson on March 5, 1877.
They remained in Johnson that year working on a dairy belonging to Sixtus E. Johnson. From there they went down the Pah Reah River and raised a good crop in the company of Nathan Robinson and his wife, Annice. They went back to Johnson again in the fall. In February,1878, they moved to Skutempah, where their second child was born on March 17, 1878.
They then returned again to Johnson and worked again in the dairy to obtain means and groceries to return to Arizona. Upon arriving in Moencopi, they gathered up the things they left there and went to Lone Pine, Arizona, where they resided on a small farm.
Their third child was a daughter, Susan Willmirth, born September 22, 1880. In the fall of 1882, the Apache Indians broke out on the War Path and threatened their lives. Some of the men from Taylor came to their rescue and moved them to Taylor where their fourth child, a son, James Henry, was born on September 4, 1882. They built several homes from which they were driven by the Apache Indians.
They moved to Eager, Arizona, where four families built homes there. Their fifth child, a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, was born June 3, 1884.They moved to St. Johns, Arizona, and worked at different places. While there, their fifth child, Sarah Elizabeth, died July 19, 1885 and was buried in St. Johns Cemetery on July 20,1885.
From St. Johns they moved to Howe's Ranch, where Benjamin Samuel had a contract to fence some land for the Howe Cattle Company. In September of 1886, they left the Howe Ranch in the company of William C. Park, Ike Cobb and Benjamin Farland Johnson, and moved to Tempe, Maricopa, Arizona.
In Tempe, their sixth child, a son, Benjamin Franklin, was born on November 7, 1886. He worked then for Mr. Charles Trumbull Hayden, who owned a mercantile business and a flour mill, and also a truck garden, known as Hayden’s Garden.
From Tempe they moved to Nephi, Arizona (between Tempe and Mesa). In Nephi he took up a homestead of 160 acres, which he sold to his relatives, except 40 acres, which he farmed for 11 years.
Four children were born while in Nephi. On May 10, 1889, a seventh child, a daughter, Annie Gertrude; on March 5, 1892, their eighth child, a daughter, Emma Vilate; on September 24, 1894, their ninth child, a daughter, Margueritta (Rita); and on July 24, 1896, their tenth child, a son, Seth Guernsey.
While residing in Nephi, he was engaged in farming, dairying and selling his milk and cream to the Tempe dairy owned by F. A. Hough.
He helped build canals and ditches to bring the water from the SaltRiver to irrigate their land. In August 1899, they started on a visit to Old Mexico to visit his brother and sisters and her parents, also some of her brothers and sisters. They lived in Colonia Juarez, Mexico. They got as far as St. David, Cochise County, Arizona, where they were stopped by Mexican authorities. There had been a fight between the American rangers and Mexican cowboys. They resided there until about 1901. While in St. David, their eleventh child, a son, Don Charles, was born. In 1904 they moved to Nephi where he was engaged in dairying. In 1907, he moved his family to Buckeye, Arizona, where he resided until _____. While here, he did farming and dairying and owned an interest in a Thresher and Baler. In about 1914 they purchased a piece of land in Pomerene, Arizona, in Cochise County, where they resided. Later they moved to Mesa again where he worked in farming and dairying on his brother's, Ben Farland, farm.
In 1927, when the Arizona Temple was dedicated, he was at the dedication and went through with the first company for endowments for the dead. He labored continually for 12 years.
When coming down the stairs after going through the morning session on April 27, 1939, he fell at the first landing, breaking his hip bone, just below the hip socket. He was taken to the hospital. He had a brace and cast put on his leg from his toes to his hip. This was Tuesday. On Wednesday, the bishop came by the home and arranged for someone to stay through the night. Ben LaBaron went over and later someone called at James Johnson's and he went over to the hospital. At 2:40 a.m., Thursday, he passed on his reward.
Thus he was released from his mission which had lasted 63 years.
[This narrative was written by James H. Johnson, assisted by his mother, Susan Elvira, May 27, 1939, in Prescott, Arizona.]
Benjamin Samuel Johnson
Thursday, May 4, 1939, a memorial was held in the Temple for Uncle Sam, as he was affectionately called by those who knew him. On May 5, 1939, at 2:00 p.m. funeral services were held at Mesa Second Ward with Bishop Egbert D. Brown presiding.
OPENING SONG: "Oh My Father" By Singing Mothers
INVOCATION: President Frank V. Anderson of Arizona Temple
SONG: "Abide With Me" By Singing Mothers
1ST SPEAKER: President James W. Lesueur of Arizona Temple
2ND SPEAKER: John F. Nash, Patriarch
3RD SPEAKER: President Charles R. Jones
VOCAL SOLO: "Who Are These Arrayed in White" By Sister Flora M.
Hicks
BENEDICTION: Elder Andres Mortensen
The casket then was taken to the depot and put on the train Saturday, 3:15 p.m and Uncle Jim (his son, James) accompanied the body to Prescott, arriving at 8:00 p.m.
HUNTER MORTUARY
Prescott
Sunday, May 7,
1939
2:00 p.m.
PRESIDING: President Merle M. Allen
SONG: "Oh My Father" By Choir
INVOCATION: Elder James H. Hill
SONG: "I Need Thee Every Hour" By Choir
1ST SPEAKER: Verd A. Hanks
2ND SPEAKER: President Merle M. Allen
3RD SPEAKER: Isaac H. Rogers
BENEDICTION: James M. Shumway
Grampa Johnson, as he was affectionately known here in Prescott, was survived by his wife, Susan Elvira; four sons, Samuel Joseph, who was on a mission in Rio Del, California, with his wife, Cora May, James Henry, Benjamin Franklin, who resides in Prescott, Don Charles, who resided in Long Beach, California; and two daughters, Gertrude Roberts, resides in Phoenix, and Marguerite (Rite) Cooper, who lived at the time in Tipton, Oregon. Also 38 great grand children and three daughters-in-law, namely, Cora Johnson, Cecilia Johnson and Rose Johnson. Also three sons-in-law, namely, Tilman Roberts, Robert Cooper and Charles Martin Lewis.
No comments:
Post a Comment