William Right Johnson (abt. 1871 - 1943)

Born about 1 Jun 1871 in Tennessee, United States

Husband of Mattie W. Long — married 21 Oct 1894 in Obion, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 28 Apr 1943 at about age 71 in Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Karen Lumpkins [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Johnson Name Study.

This family is my direct line and was researched as part of my studies of Johnson families in District 3, Obion Co., Tennessee.

W.R. Johnson, was born June 1, 1870 or 1871.

It appears that William Right Johnson dropped out of nowhere into Obion Co., TN in 1894 when he married Mattie Long. They lived in district 3 until about 1900 when they moved to district 13, Union City, possibly because Mattie was gravely ill. The widower W. R. and his children were back in district 3 by 1910. It appears W. R. paid taxes on the land in district 3 throughout his time in Obion Co. After 1918 W. R. lived in Randolph, Mississippi, Clay, and Cross counties Arkansas. Census records list his occupation as farmer or more often, and as my family knew of him, a grocery merchant.

Census Records

He was age 29 and a grocery merchant in the 1900 census of Obion Co., TN. A nurse by the name of M.W. Webster, a 69 year old widow, was enumerated with the family.^[1] Less than two weeks after this census was taken, his wife Mattie would pass away of consumption. W.R. would never remarry. Mattie's mother Mary "Mattie" Long would pass away from consumption less than one year after her daughter. After the death of both his wife and his mother-in-law, William R. Johnson would have two young children to raise by himself while trying to support the family.

William R. Johnson, widower, and his children Nola and Lonnie H. were living in Obion Co., TN, District 3 for the 1910 census. ^[2]

1920, January 24, Randolph Co., AR, Baker township

Johnson, Wm R, 48, b. TN, father b. TN, mother b. SC. He operates a farm and does general farming. Nola D. was 24 and had no occupation which was common for young women. Lonnii was 20 and worked as farm labor. Iva, Lonnii's wife, was also 20 and had no occupation.^[3]

1930, April 11 Mississippi Co., AR, Leachville town, Neal township

Johnson, Will, 58, widowed, age at first marriage 23, b. TN, father b. TN, mother b. SC, occupation clerk at a grocery^[4]

1940, April 5 Cross Co., AR

Wm R Johnson 68, was widowed and living alone. He was the proprietor of a grocery store.^[5]

The legend for explaining the tax numbers is the following. A breakdown of taxes is shown for certain years and may be useful in determining when land was bought or sold.

acres, value, total pp, poll tax, road tax, county tax, school tax, state tax, tax, total tax

1908

• 35 acres, value 400, total pp 400, poll tax 1, road tax 80, county tax 100, school tax 380, state tax 140, tax 40, total tax 740

1909

• 35, 400, 400, 1 80, 100, 380, 140, 40, 740

1910

• 35, 400, 400, 1, 80, 100, 380, 140, 20, 220

1911

• 35, 400, 400, 1, 80, 100, 380, 140, 20, 720

1912

• 35, 400, 400, 1, 80, 100, 380, 140, 20, 720

1913

• 35, 400, 400, 1, 80, 120, 380, 140, 720
• 8, 75, 75, 15, 22, 34, 26, 97

Land Records^[7]

1894, November 10 John Stanfield and his wife Margret sold WR Johnson 25 acres in district 3, Obion Co. on the headwaters of Sugar Creek and at a corner of James William.^[8]

1897, April 21 RJ Long and wife MA Long sold WR Johnson 40 acres in district 3, the Allan Howard tract bounded on north by Pinion, on south by Cross, on east by Park and west by Long.^[9]

1897, April 22 WR Johnson and wife MW Johnson sold John Stanfield 25 acres in district 3, Obion Co. at James Williams corner.^[10]

1899, November 13 WR and MW Johnson sold James Grooms 40 acres of land known as the Allen Howard tract, bounded on north by McCain, on south by Grooms, on east by Glover and on west by Long.^[11]

1918, August 26 Warranty Deed

• Alleen Wilson adm of estate of od AM Wilson, deceased, sold WR Johnson 120 acres land in Randolph Co., AR, township 21N, range 1W

SW 1/4 of SW 1/4, section 17

SE 1/4 of SE 1/4, section 18

NE 1/4 of NE 1/4, section 19

1918, September, WR's son Lonnie registered for the WWI draft. Lonnie listed WR Johnson of Huffman, Mississippi Co., AR as his nearest relative.^[12]

1919, January 14 Quit Claim Deed

• Sallie J. Wilson, widow of AM Wilson, Cameron Harmon and Ruby Harmon, children of AM Wilson, sold and quit claim to WR Johnson the same land described in August 26, 1918 Warranty Deed for the land in Randolph Co., AR. Filed in Clinton Co., MO where Wilson and the Harmons moved.^[13]

1924, January 22 Warranty Deed

• CF Shannon and his wife Verde Shannon and JW Shannon and his wife Ina W Shannon, bought from WR Johnson 40 acres in Randolph Co., AR.

SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4, section 19, township 21 N, range 1W^[14]

1943, January

W R's brother-in-law, Bob McCain, was killed and W R's sister-in-law, Florence Long McCain, wounded at their home in Union City.^[15] Florence ran to their nearby grocery store to use a phone to call for help but found the store had been set on fire. She was able to extinguish the fire. I wonder how this terrible act affected W R, he being a grocery merchant as well, and if it led to W R dying a few months later.

WR Johnson of Wynne, AR passed away in Baptist Hospital in Memphis, TN on April 28, 1943. He was a Wynne grocer and had come from Leachville, Mississippi Co., AR several years before his death. Funeral services conducted by Rev. BB Cox, pastor of the Wynne Baptist Church were at Kernodle Funeral Home. Burial was in Cogbill Cemetery. WR was survived by a brother Joe Johnson of Union City, TN and a son LH Johnson of Wynne.^[16] A dispute over a property that William Right Johnson owned ended up in court. The suit states that L. H. Johnson is the son of W. R. Johnson and states that W.R. died intestate.^[17]

I guess the suit turned out alright. The plaintiff settled the dispute by paying a certain sum of money to the defendant in lieu of the property going to the defendant. The plaintiff and defendant married each other four years later.

Research Notes

I am still looking for the parents of William Right Johnson. His obituary in 1943 stated he had a brother Joe living in Union City, TN. His death certificate gave his birth place as Mississippi according to his son Lonnie. On all census records, where William Right himself probably was the person giving the information, his place of birth was listed Tennessee.

Someone on Ancestry has a tree with this William in it. The source is The Flowers with family, friends and neighbors of Henry Co., TN. I have not been able to locate this source on a free site and I don't have a paid Ancestry account. And I have not located my Johnson family in Henry Co., TN.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6883-L22?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMSC5-CV7&action=view
2. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GT8P-GCD?i=20. accessed online December 5, 2023.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR69-VH4?cc=1488411&wc=QZJG-FZG%3A1036470101%2C1036842401%2C1036816301%2C1589332602 : 9 September 2019), Arkansas > Randolph > Baker > ED 129 > image 17 of 19; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR4H-9Y8?cc=1810731&wc=QZF9-D7Y%3A648804901%2C650362201%2C650415401%2C1589282507 : 8 December 2015), Arkansas > Mississippi > Leachville > ED 35 > image 20 of 24; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89M1-FG2?cc=2000219&wc=QZX1-97Z%3A790105701%2C791792901%2C791856901%2C951218601 : accessed 12 January 2024), Arkansas > Cross > Wynne Township, Wynne, Ward 2 > 19-19 Wynne Township, Wynne City Ward 2 bounded by (N) Merriman Av, Union; (E) city limits; (S) city limits; (W) Missouri Pacific Railroad > image 6 of 26; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
6. ↑ Taken from Obion Co., Tax Records books at courthouse in Union City, TN, researched approx. year 2000.
7. ↑ Taken from Deed Records at courthouse in Randolph Co., AR, researched approx. year 2000.
8. ↑ From research in approx. 2000 in Obion Co., Book 3-S, pp. 546-547.
9. ↑ By research in approx. 2000 in Obion Co. Courthouse.
10. ↑ By research in approx. 2000 in Obion Co. Courthouse.
11. ↑ By research in approx. 2000 in Obion Co. Courthouse.
12. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBF-W99?cc=1968530&wc=9FHQ-4WP%3A928312601%2C928651301 : 23 August 2019), Arkansas > Mississippi County; Dabner, J.-Pikey, Girard > image 2969 of 5553; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
13. ↑ Deed Book 51, Randolph Co., AR, pg. 123, researched at new courthouse Pocahontas City approx. 2000.
14. ↑ Taken from Deed Records at courthouse in Randolph Co., AR, researched approx. year 2000.
15. ↑ Multiple articles in The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, during the spring of 1943 describe the event as told by Florence as well as by the perpetrators.
16. ↑ The Wynne Progress, Thursday, May 6, 1943. Accessed during in person research trip approx. 2000. Newspaper on microfilm.
17. ↑ In person research approx. 2000 in Cross Co., AR. Chancery Court Record, July 20, 1943.

• 1900 and 1910 census state that W. R. Johnson and William R. Johnson is the father of Nola Johnson.