Abia Elmer Johnson (1888 - 1978)

Born 31 Oct 1888 in Colonia Díaz, Chihuahua, Mexico

Ancestors

Husband of Harriet (Ford) Johnson — married 17 Oct 1913 in St. George, Washington, Utah, United States

Died 2 Nov 1978 at age 90 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States

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Biography

Abia Elmer Johnson was born 31 October 1888, Colonia Díaz, Chihuahua, Mexico to parents William Derby Johnson Jr. and his wife Mary Agnes Riggs. ^[1] Father William Derby Johnson, Jr. was an LDS polygamist and LDS Bishop who descended from one of the original founding Mormon families. Two of his Johnson great aunts were married to Joseph Smith.

Abia was a carpenter. ^[1]

As with his father Abia was a polygamist and also married Harriet Ford.^[2]

Harriet was born 27 May 1893, Kanab, Kane Utah, United States to parents Edwin Mantripp Ford and Ellen Elizabeth (Bunting) Ford. She was several decades younger than Abia. Harriet Ford Johnson passed away 11 April 1986 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona at the age of 103 years. Like so many of these LDS pioneers who settled in Phoenix she was buried at Greenwood Memorial Lawn cemetery, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona.

Year 1893: Migration of the Johnson's and other allied families from the Utah Territory to found the planned community of Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua, Mexico. Colonia Diaz resided about 13 miles due South of bordertown Columbus, New Mexico.

1913 the beginning of the Mexican Revolution: Destruction of Colonia Diaz colony by Poncho Villa in 1913 and return to the United States.

"Abia Elmer Johnson, son of Wm. D. Johnson and Mary Agnes (Riggs) Johnson passed away 7 November 1932 (at the town of this birth), Salt Lake City, Utah, United States." ^[3] His home at his time of death was 309 6th Ave., Salt Lake City. He was buried at Tooele City Cemetery, Tooele county, Utah, USA on 11 November 1932. ^[1][4]

Sources

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH13-MJ3 : accessed 14 December 2020), Abia E Johnson, Osborn, Maricopa, Arizona, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 111, sheet 10A, line 33, family 227, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 60; FHL microfilm 2,339,795.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Utah State Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah, Certificate of Death; Series Number: 81448. Reprinted as Utah, Death and Military Death Certificates, 1904-1961. Reprinted online by Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2014, Provo, UT, USA. Online access 17 Feb 2020.
2. ↑ "Utah Marriages, 1887-1935", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HN85-532M : 28 January 2020), Abia Elmer Johnson, 1913.
3. ↑ Salt Lake County, Utah, Death Records, 1908-1949. Reprinted by FamilySearch, 2013, SLC, Utah, USA. Reprinted by Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, Provo, UT., USA. Online access 17 Feb 2020.
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 December 2020), memorial page for Abia Ezekiel Johnson (31 Oct 1888–2 Nov 1978), Find A Grave: Memorial #58870189, citing Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA ; Maintained by Bob Ford (contributor 47137106) .

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Johnson-11739 created through the import of alice.ged on Feb 8, 2012 by Alice Neff