Mary Loretta (Freeman) Johnston (1850 - 1921)

Born 10 Oct 1850 in Murphy, Cherokee, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Charles Jackson Johnston — married 4 Nov 1877 in Nehama, Nebraska, United States

Descendants

Died 31 Mar 1921 at age 70 in Salem, Marion, Oregon, United States

Biography

From Find A Grave:

Mary’s cremated remains were not initially taken after her death and were available at the Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. Her 2 x great granddaughter received Mary's ashes in September 2016.

Mary was born in North Carolina in 1850. Her parents were Humphrey Posey Freeman and his 2nd cousin, Eliza Rees who were both born in North Carolina. Humphrey was born about 1825 and Eliza about 1830. Mary’s siblings included Nancy (born in Kentucky about 1846), Moses (Kentucky 1847), Letitha (North Carolina 1848), William (Nebraska 1854), Samuel (Missouri 1856), Sarah (Missouri 1858), Eliza (Missouri 1863), Davy (Nebraska 1864), Freemont (Nebraska 1867), and Nevada (Nebraska 1869).

During the 1860 census Mary was living in Douglas County, Missouri with her parents and siblings. Her mother was unable to read or write. Neither Mary, age 9, nor any of her siblings (ages 2 - 12) were attending school.

In the 1870 census Mary was 19, single and living in Douglas, Nemaha County, Nebraska with her parents and several siblings. There was no indication in the census that Mary was illiterate.

Mary married to Charles Jackson Johnston who was born in Ohio in September 1821. He had children by previous marriages. By the time of the 1880 census Mary was living with Charles in Glen Rock, Nemaha County, Nebraska. With them were Harvey and Byron, two of Charles’ sons. It was reported Mary was unable to write, but was able to hear, speak, and read. In 1881 her daughter Laura Bell Johnston was born in Nebraska. The family moved to Oregon about 1895.

In the 1900 census Mary was listed as a patient in Salem, Oregon at the Oregon State Insane Asylum, a psychiatric hospital that was later called the Oregon State Hospital. It was said she was 50 years old, single, and could speak, but could not read or write. In the 1900 census Mary’s daughter Laura (age 18) was living south of Salem in Sidney, Marion County with her father Charles and half-brother Harvey. Charles was listed as a “widower” which was often used as a euphemism for divorced or simply “out of the picture.” Laura married Fred Cox about 1900. In 1910 she and Fred were living in Polk County, Oregon where Fred was a laborer for the railroad.

On 1/22/1910 Mary was transferred to the Oregon State Institution for the Feeble-Minded, a residential, quasi-educational institution in Salem charged with educating people with developmental disabilities. At the time she was admitted the institution was relatively new. The hospital opened on December 1, 1908 with a transfer of 39 patients from the mental institution to this new facility. Later it was renamed the Oregon Fairview Home. At the time of the 1910 census Mary was listed among the patients at the OSIFM. It was noted that she spoke no language and was “deaf and dumb.” Her marital status was unknown to the staff completing the census. During the census of 1920 Mary was living at the institution. She was reportedly unable to read or write. Most of the other patients were children or young single adults. Mary was 69 and married. Mary died of heart problems at the institution on 3/31/1921 after having been a patient at the 2 institutions for over 21 years. Her death certificate indicated she was married. Husband Charles died some time after the 1900 census. Daughter Laura Bell died on 5/18/1955 in Coos County, Oregon.

Mary’s grandchildren, the children of her daughter Laura, were all born in Oregon. They included: John (1901 - 1961), Mattie (about 1903), Clifford (1905 - 1994), Vivian (about 1908), Ruth Cox Cave (1909 - 1987), Alfred (about 1912 - 1954), Ella Cox Syslo (about 1915), Paul (1916 ), Joel (1917 - 1980), Inabell Cox, Blair Cook (1917 - 2014), Ruby Cox Archer (in 1919 - 1988), and Benny (in 1921 - 2005).

Note:

In Mary's transfer records to Fairview, there was a notation that she was partially deaf and that she knew some sign language. Her older brother Moses K. Freeman was deaf as was her brother Samuel. The boys contracted one of the more serious illnesses of the time and lost their hearing due to high fevers. It is possible that happened to Mary as well. Moses became a teacher at a school for the Deaf and Blind in Kansas. This is likely where she learned sign language.

More information about unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a short documentary film by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled Library of Dust also provide more information.

Sources

Feb. 2019 updates from Find A Grave: Memorial #87105398

Acknowledgement: This person was created through the import of David Freeman Wheeler 4-24-2009_2010-04-29.ged on 23 August 2010. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.

Note: @N1602@

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2 _UID 0E6CBACB-1BE4-4576-83DB-E50DFBAACA44

2 _UID E082CB63-2ED3-4D54-8BC4-36B1B5D2C6B7

2 _UID A27D7553-3131-4BC5-BABB-F50B3CB1FBCC

1. Bruce Johnson ID I37733

2. Kimberly Archer ID I110155980 Roots

3. Jeannie Dobbs ID I5456 Roots Has birth as 1851

4. OWT Data Sheet

5. 1850 Census Cherokee Co. NC Calls her Letitha

6. 1860 Census Douglas Co. MO

7. 1870 Census Nehama Co NE

8. Sherry Weaver

9. Patsy Freeman ID I12274 Roots

10. www.xenonsheepdog.org (gives middle name as Telitha)