Michael M. Johnson, oldest son of Joel and Mary Johnson, was born at Tom's River, Monmouth County, New Jersey, May 8, 1817, and died July 22, 1912, aged 95 years, 2 months, 14 days.

He was the oldest son in a family of ten children. His father dying when he was yet a boy, he became the chief help of his widowed mother in the care for the family.

On August 30, 1840 he was married to Nancy Chamberlain, with whom he lived a long and happy life, celebrating their golden wedding in 1890. Yet kind Providence spared them eight more years of happiness as husband and wife, when on Nov. 21, 1898, the call came to the wife to pass to the Great Beyond.

To this union were born ten children, four boys and six girls, all of whom are living except Mrs. Mattie Wright, who died Dec 22, 1890.

In early life, Michael Johnson was a sea captain, sailing the southern waters and meeting conditions that brought out the sturdy principles of justice and right that are so characteristic of men who follow the sea.

In 1845, when the tide of migration was crossing the mountains and moving westward, Mr. Johnson with his wife and two children, Cecelia and Joel, came to Ohio, arriving at Cincinnati by boat. His first settlement was about one and one half miles east of New Vienna on what is now the New Lexington pike. He afterwards moved to a farm near Cuba, then to the Snow Hill neighborhood and settled on a farm owned by Elisha Harris. With the exception of a few years spent in Indiana, the remainder of his active life was spent on the Elisha Harris farm now owned by Jeff Clark.

At his death, he had forty-eight living grandchildren, fifty-one great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren, making one hundred and two persons who called him grandfather.

When the Masonic Lodge was instituted in New Vienna, Michael Johnson became one of the charter members, and has lived a consistent member of the order ever since. By his death the last charter member has been removed.

About sixty years ago, during a revival conducted by Rev. Musgrove, he united with the New Vienna M.E. Church and the life he lived showed that the Spirit of the Great Master was his guide.

Source: Memoir received from the Clinton County, Ohio Genealogical Society
PO Box 529
Wilmington, OH 45177

Transcribed by Suzanne Stamper-Youmans ROJO@wesnet.com

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:
• Interment.net ~ Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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