- WILLIAM JOHNSON is a leading and representative citizen of
the town of Spring Grove, Green
- county, residing on his farm one mile south of Oakley.
- Mr. JOHNSON is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (MOREY) JOHNSON,
of Northampton county,
- Penn., who were of German origin. Jacob JOHNSON was born
in 1782, son of Henry JOHNSON, was among the early settlers of
Easton, Penn., and was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died
in 1867. About 1812 he married Elizabeth MOREY, and they became
the parents of eight children: Sally, who married Benjamin BARTO;
John, deceased; Rebecca, who married Amos GUMM, and is now deceased;
Jacob, who died in Pennsylvania; Philip, who resides in Northampton
county, Penn.; William, born May 7, 1825; Jesse, who died in
Pennsylvania; and Wilson, who lives in Rochester, Michigan.
- William JOHNSON, the subject proper of this article, came
West to Lee county, Ill., in 1855, and
- four years later removing to Green county, Wis., settled
on the place he now owns, and where he is found today, a good
type of the prosperous and contented farmer. On Oct. 7, 1854,
William JOHNSON was married to Katherine LONG, who was born Aug.
31, 1829, the eldest of the six children of John and Elizabeth
(EYER) LONG, good farming people, of English descent, who ranked
among the foremost residents of Northampton county at that time.
This marriage has been blessed with five children: (1) Elizabeth,
born in Illinois in 1857, married John STRALEY, and died in Houston,
Tex., in 1899. (2) Hebron, born Aug. 26, 1860, died Sept. 13,
1895, leaving a widow and two children. (3) John E., born March
22, 1863, died in infancy. (4) Mary, born Feb. 7, 1866, is the
wife of Frank ZIMMERMAN, a farmer of Stephenson county, Ill.
(5) Ella, the youngest of the family is the wife of Rev. J. W.
ZIMMERMAN, of Green county, Wisconsin.
- William JOHNSON was reared on the farm, and acquired his
education in the district school.
- When he came West he was a poor man, but by the exercise
of industry, economy and wise judgment he has come into the possession
of a good farm, with all modern improvements, and in his old
age is released from the necessity of care and worry. He owns
400 acres of good land, in good condition. In politics he is
a Democrat. He has been a consistent member of the United Brethren
church for many years, and is a respected citizen of his community.
He is a good man, a devoted husband, a kind and faithful father,
and an obliging and generous friend and neighbor.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin,"
(c)1901 Union Publishing; p. 652.
-
- Courtesy of Carol.
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