John Wesley Johnson 1886-1960

John Wesley Johnson was born ca May 1886.   He was a farmer and sometimes worked for the Champion Paper Company.
    His wife Belle Zora Quinn was born on 22Jan1896? and was raised as an orphan.  Belle worked part-time in a sewing room in Magnolia, Texas that was fifteen miles from their home.  "Many times after working all day she would sew something for us girls for a special occasion.  We were given clothes from other people.  Mom would rip up and make over for us.  We didn't have a lot of clothes for new material, but never felt ungrateful or mistreated," Alma.
    At one point the family lived at the Oklahoma Community, about four miles from Tomball, Texas where they lived in a ranch style house on nine acres.  The house had three bedrooms with a long porch across the front.
    John was highly respected by his friends and neighbors.
    The picture above is of John and Belle from about 1911 with their first son Cloyd as a small child.  The location of the original is not known at this time.
    "The W.P.A. (Welfare) gave us groceries and clothes all made the same style and colors so everyone at school had the same types of dress.  Not much chance to be different," Alma.
    Although John would make bacon and sausage from the hogs that he raised, John was a great deer hunter and would often take his grandchildren hunting with him.  This was in the day's before refrigeration was readily available.   When a deer was killed, it was quickly prepared and divided amongst the neighbors and families in need.  When John went hunting it was never for sport, but for food.   He also taught the family to never hunt out of season and to always be responsible.

John W. Johnson, 74, died at his home, 10314 Bainbridge, Thursday morning. He was survived by 62 descendants.
John, a retired employee of the Champion Paper and Fibre Co., had lived in Houston for 17 years.
A newspaper funeral notice (source unknown) listed his survivors as his wife; seven daughters. Mrs. Ada Clepper, Mrs Ethel Bruner, Mrs. Erma Skaggs, Mrs. Eunice Mueller, Mrs. Alma Dodd, Mrs Elna Fortson, al of Houston, and Mrs Arline Knee of Humble; four sons, Cloyed A Johnson, Allen W. Johnson, Rev. Jim W. Johnson, and Rev. Donald R. Johnson, all of Houston; 30 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, and two sisters, Mrs Fannie McDonald and Mrs. Lizzie Ivey, of Houston.

John and Bell had 13 children:
1. Cloyd Aurther Johnson
2. Clara Ada Johnson Clepper Smith 11Apr1912 - 27May1982
3. boy - died at brith
4. Ethel Lavenia Johnson Bruner 23Nov1914 - 02Dec2008
5. Allen “Catfish” Wilson Johnson
6. Jim Wodrow Johnson
7. Erma Virginia Johnson Skaggs
8. Eunice Lucille Johnson Mueller Hardy 23Nov1923 - Feb2003 TX
9. Arline Ruth Johnson Knee
10. Harvey Lloyd Johnson (died at age 4 from diphtheria)
11. Alma Louise Johnson Dodd Rhodus
12. Donald Ray Johnson 1932-2008
13. Elna Emma Johnson Fortson

    John and his wife Belle were both buried at the Brookside Memorial Park in Houston, Harris County, Texas.
Source:
• Interviews with his children at family reunions