Submitted by Jan J. Barnes
Franklin Favorite, Franklin, KY. December 14, 1939
John R. Johnson Dies Monday Morning Following An Illness of Several Weeks
John R. Johnson, 83, died at the home of his son, Will Johnson, on West
Kentucky Avenue at 4 o'clock Monday morning following an illness of several
weeks.
Mr. Johnson was a native of Sumner County, Tennessee, but moved across the
line into the Rapids section during his youth and resided there until about
twenty-five years ago, when he removed with his family to Franklin, where
he resided until the end came as stated above.
Mr. Johnson was a carpenter and was employed here and throughout the county
until the infirmities of age forced his retirement.
He was a splendid neighbor, an upright citizen and devoted husband and
father.
Besides his wife, Mrs. Sarah Johnson, he is survived by a daughter, Mrs.
Arthur Martin, of Nashville, in addition to the son mentioned above, and
by two grandsons, Joe Johnson of this city and Douglass Martin of Nashville,
and a granddaughter, Mrs. Herbert Stark of Nashville.
Funeral services were conducted from the residence at 10:30 o'clock Tuesday
morning by the Rev. W. W. Payne with burial in Green Lawn.
Pallbearers were Jesse March, Douglass Booker, J. H. Crenshaw, Riley Duckett,
Walter Jones, and Joe Hunt.
*Note: John R. Johnson was the son of Nelson Johnson (son of Benjamin Johnson and Rebecca Turner) and Mildred Mabry of Sumner Co., TN. His death certificate lists his age as 83 years, 11 months, and 10 days, his birthday as Dec. 31, 1855. His tombstone in the Green Lawn Cemetery in Franklin, Ky lists his birth year as 1856 and death as 11 Dec. 1939, but it also lists his age as 83 years, 11 months, and 10 days. He was married to S. A. (Sarah) Ramsey in Sumner County, TN (Sumner County Marriage Index) on January 25, 1881. They had two children, James William (Will) Johnson, (see a photo of Will and Laura) married to Laura Turner (daughter of George Turner and Ellen Neal) and Cora Johnson, (photo of Cora & family) married to Arthur Martin on September 10, 1907 (Sumner County Marriage Index).
Genealogist's Companion to Research in Sumner County, Tennessee