The First and the Second Arthur Theodore Johnson With Update

2026 Update: 

I wrote this post in 2011, before I started writing my first book. Research for this book proved the story wrong in a couple of ways that shocked my uncles. I proved to them, through newspaper articles and church records, that the order of events was different from what they had always been told. The correct version of this story (as far as I can make it without having been alive at that time) appears in my book, By-Gosh Johnson and the Long Walk.

 My 2011 Post:

My grandpa was the second Arthur Theodore Johnson in the family. He was born a few months too late to meet his older brother, the first Arthur, but nevertheless, he was there. His mother may have known he was there, but there is no way to tell.

It was a spring day in the countryside near McPherson, Kansas, and my great-grandparents, John and Ida Johnson, were on their way into town with their young family. The date was May 14, 1889. As Arthur 2 rested in his mother's womb, maybe feeling his two-year-old brother Emil pressing against him from their mother's lap, Arthur 1 ventured toward the back of the wagon. Four-year-old boys are curious and can get into trouble when they have a few minutes behind their parents' backs.
I have no way of knowing what alerted their parents to the tragedy. The back gate of the wagon must have made some noise when it flew open, but they stopped the wagon and looked behind them to see their precious firstborn son lying in the dust of the road. He was gone before they could get to him. The fall from the wagon had broken his neck.
The emotions around that little stretch of road must have been overwhelming. My great-grandparents probably wailed with their grief as little Emil stood by, taking it all in. He was too young to realize that his life had changed forever in the seconds after the gate opened. That one event threw him into his brother's place as "the oldest child"; cemented it in his mind by the horror of the scene, and left a scar that would stay with him for the next 70 years. Did the 2nd little Arthur feel the grief of his mother as she cried for her son?
The scene was worse than anything I can imagine, and yet it would get worse in a matter of minutes. The wagon stood in front of a neighbor's farm, and soon that family had entered the picture. The neighbor proceeded to berate the grieving father for being so careless with his child. How could he leave his small son in such a dangerous place? He should have known this would happen! Hurtful words saturated the heavy air and did nothing for the family’s grief; they were never forgotten and would be repeated even 3 generations later. I’ve been told that John never fully recovered from those words. The first little Arthur was carried to the same neighbor’s farm until arrangements could be made for a funeral. A simple trip to town had turned several lives upside down.

Firstborn son, Arthur, was buried in the cemetery behind the Swedish Lutheran Church outside of McPherson, Kansas. We aren’t sure where because there is no longer a stone. Seven months later, my grandfather, and the first Arthur’s namesake, was born on December 4, 1889.

Translating 19th Century Family History for 21st Century People - Tech Tuesday

     Two cousins and I are preparing for our Rutkowski - Warnken family reunion at the end of May. the last few reunions have seen dwindling attendance and the loss the last two sisters of the family, my great aunts, on the Rutkowski side. In the past, they spent the time after lunch and meeting playing something like BINGO or a number draw to win door prizes brought by various family members. It was well liked by the older generations but as the years went by, they noticed fewer young families coming. Regrettably, I was one that didn't always make it. The traditional activities just don't seem to attract people anymore. Hmmm...


     We've been  attempting to "reinvent" the gathering by choosing a more interesting venue (from a shelter at a park to a beautiful nature center) and changing up the activities in hopes that we can attract more from the younger generations. 
 
     So far we will have lunch, pictures in the gardens of the center, a fishing derby for the kids, and a short meeting. As a genealogist, I like to try to promote our family history in an engaging, 21st Century way that might interest others to learn more about our ancestors. Last year I used Photostory 3 to created a slide show of family pictures set to music. Each family went home with a CD of the slide show. Everyone was so excited to get their own copy.

     What should I do this year? We have decided to drop the formal meeting protocol of our parents' generation. (The gavel can stay home this year.) Letters went out but also email. I have beautiful scrapbook paper with a family tree theme for them to write their information on. I have enough pictures for a second slide show.

Any ideas?

Genealogy Friends Are Everywhere! - Motivation Monday

My eyes scanned up and down the racks of scrapbook paper, searching for the colors and designs that might indicate a family tree theme. I zig-zagged my way down the crowded aisle, peeking around people and shopping carts. Twice, I had made my way around the other shoppers to continue my search to the end of the asile.

I was about to give up when a woman next to me pulled a sepia colored square from a paper rack. I recognized it immediately as a pedigree chart and exclaimed my excitement. It was what I was looking for and on sale as a bonus! When I realized her eyes hadn't glazed over at the mention of genealogy and family history, I ventured more of an explanation; family reunion activities that needed a boost. Within a minute I was listening to her story about the fact that her family no longer had aunts, uncles or grandparents so she was researching her husband's family. A questioning look from me was all she needed to explain further. Most of her family, except for her parents, hadn't escaped Germany and had died in a concentration camp. The strength of the emotions that still surrounded the story were very evident in her voice. She spoke of frustration at the amount of divorced couples in her husband's family and how hard it was to depict it correctly and easily in a scrapbook. I encouraged her to tell her family's story as well as she moved on to another aisle.

As she left, a couple slowly walked down the asile toward me as they talked about their choices of paper. They commented on a bit of conversation they had heard me exchange with the first woman about messy family history because of divorce. When they noticed the pedigree chart I held in my hand they began telling me about their recent venture into genealogy. Within a few minutes I found I was speaking to possible relatives of a 15th century knight from England and Lady Godiva according to a brother who was a genealogist. I told them about one of my great grandfathers who had been knighted during that time period, also. They expressed their excitement about a family tree program that they had just ordered. We talked a little while before they continued on down the row of  racks, choosing more paper. I moved on to find my daughter. As I walked on, I thought... everyone has a story and about genealogists?...

We're everywhere!

Motivation Monday - The "To do list" Experiment

I sat down and made a list on the first day of spring break and then began prioritizing. Of course there were things that naturally seemed the most important so they received a high ranking. All of the "shoulds and have-to's" ended up at the top and, as usual, the things I wanted to do were at the bottom; things like day trips to visit aunts, uncles, cousins and family locations. I know from past experience what happens to the things at the end of my lists. I rarely get to them. They get listed under "Things to do next time I have a break".

This year I did something shocking and unheard of! I turned my list upside-down and made spring break an actual break! Okay, I did pay the bills first... but then I let myself have fun! 

• I used my wait time on Saturday to really reread an article that has information about my GrGrandmother. Using my iPhone, I was able to actually get an address, email and phone number of 3 people in the article that might be able to help me with my research.
• I let myself spend time researching some ancestors online and putting documents into notebooks.
• Monday morning, I visited with Mildred, my husband's aunt, and picked up two big boxes of old pictures that she wanted to get to my mother-in-law, Helen. Mildred,89, showed me the books she is putting together to tell her life story and her husband's.
• I traveled on to McPherson to visit my aunt and uncle, 89 and 88, respectively, on their farm. Uncle Don has a love for genealogy and holds a lot of information for my dad's side of the family. I wanted to ask him some questions about my great uncles, Emil and Reuben Johnson, but got much more than that. On the way to the farm, I gave my dad, 89, a call and of course, he had another story about Grandpa Johnson that I had never heard before. Amazing how that can happen after all of these years!
• I stopped to get pictures of the barn that is still standing at the farm where my dad was raised and then wandered through the cemetery where many of the Johnson's are buried.
• Tuesday I spent time with my kids and the newest twig of our family tree, my grandson, Jesse. That evening my daughter and I took the boxes of pictures to my in-law's house. We spent several hours with Helen, 89, and Harry, 90, looking through pictures, telling stories and laughing. It was a nice evening that I wouldn't have wanted to miss by putting it lower on my list. I finally got to see the faces of people that I had only heard of.
• Thursday I traveled to Hutchinson to help my cousin get ready for a Rutkowski/Warnken reunion that we are having in May. I don't know how we do it but we get a lot done for all the laughing and joking around! Letters mailed and activities planned!
• Friday I was just "Grandma". 12 hours of Jesse still isn't enough but I'm happy for all the time I can get!
• Scattered through the week were lunches and/or conversations with friends and a few long phone calls.
• Saturday and Sunday provided a little bit of time to work on "the rest of the list".

I may have to do some of the "shoulds" in the evenings this week but I feel like I had a real break this year and so far I have no regrets about turning my list upside-down. I feel that it has boosted my motivation to keep going with my genealogy work (or should I say play?).

Wordless Wednesday - "Here we go..."



Mt. Manitou Park, Manitou, Colorado
A trip up Mt. Manitou Scenic Incline---the longest, highest and greatest railway of its kind
in the world. A rise of one-half mile elevation in a ride of one and one quarter miles.



Wow! Don't they look excited? The smiles on their faces tell it all!

I was going through some photos at my in-law's house last night and had to share this one.

Helen says her aunt is the woman sitting on the 3rd bench from the top in the black hat.

Decisions, Decisions!

It has been a while since I have posted. I've been spending quite a bit of my genealogy time doing research lately and now I have some decisions to make. Which story do I want to write about next?

Here is part of my list:

• Great Uncle Reuben Johnson who traveled the country by empty boxcar, canoe and motorcycle when he was young. 
• Great Uncle Emil Johnson's 7 year disappearance and how his family found him.
• The special, fragile, and everlasting ingredient that Great, Great Grandma Anna Dibbens brought with her from Isle of Wight when she moved to America.

Any preferences?

How old is that cottage?

http://www.olorunplanning.co.uk/ListedBuildings.htm 

While searching on Google the other day, I came across pictures of the cottage that my 11th Great Grandfather, George Strong, lived and worked in during the 1500's. He lived and worked in Chard, Taunton, Somerset, England. The thatching probably isn't original but you know the stones that make up the walls are. Finds like this keep me going back for more genealogy. My imagination is going now and I'm wondering what the clothes looked like that Great Grandpa Strong tailored. Google, here I come again!