Click Images to Enlarge, Left image James Henry when he was young.
The picture with hat on is as I remember granddaddy, James Henry Johnson.
The tree he planted was mostly in my mind. I leave this record for all his descendants.
Granddaddy told me how we were connected to president Lyndon B. Johnson
but I can not remember now how it was connected. He did not have a television set but he
would listen to the radio uncle John had as he played it. When he listened he would her
about Kennedy and Johnson ticket. That is the reason it is still in my mind.
His garden was just behind his right shoulder, see the old fence.
Behind the left shoulder, see the old smokehouse. The picture, taken by Hobson Anderson,
kinfolks down the line, a photographer and TV radio repairman out of Atlanta.
He grew his own tobacco and most times smoked a crooked stem pipe. He would also
make twist for chewing tobacco. He and grandmother had very little in the line of income.
I remember one of grandmothers check was about $18.00 per month.
He had set up a grist mill about 100 yards east of the smokehouse to add to income.
He sold some of his property near what is now Pine Grove church to one of the pulp wood companies.
A road to the property was near the old beacon light. I helped granddaddy take down the old fencing.
He did not sell the property adjoining the pine grove church property.
He still had a renter in the house that was near the church for income.
As I recall the mans name was Taylor. Seem he had a bad leg and could barely walk or maybe not walk at all.
Later on he deeded four 40 acre tracts to each of his children .
Statement from his granddaughter:
He loved to grow watermelons and we would all watch the largest one until it got ripe.
He would cut in and tell each one of us to save the seeds to replant next year.
He was often seen sitting under a shade tree whittling and made whistles for us from a branch of a hickory tree.
Many times his pocket knife was cleaned and used to peel fruit for us kids.
He loved all his grandchildren, would allow them to sit in his lap and play in the pockets of his overalls.
Most of all I remember just what a kind man he was. I never remember an angry or unkind word.
I would say he had a positive outlook on everything.
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