Pioneer Resident Of County Dies In Local Hospital

Tom Peter Johnson, 93, one of Montgomery County's oldest citizens, passed away at 8:24 p.m. Saturday, January 15, [1944] in the Montgomery County Hospital. He was born October 16, 1850, at Mount Creek, south of Keenan, and about six miles from his last residence in the Egypt Community.

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. at the Klein Funeral Home Chapel, Tomball, on Sunday, January 16, with interment in the Tillis Prairie Cemetery at 4:00 p.m.

Pallbearers were selected from his many grandsons as follows; Allen and Jim Johnson, Clyde and Earl Ivey, Sam, Pete and Gee Johnson and Buddy Mueller. He was mourned by more than 150 descendants and an immense host of friends to whom he was known affectionately as "Uncle Pete."

Mr. Johnson is survived by one son, Johnnie Johnson of the Oklahoma community; two daughters, Mrs. Fannie McDonald of Egypt and Mrs Lizzie Ivey, of Houston; 34 grandchildren; 85 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren; a brother, J. H. Johnson, and a sister, Angie Grey, both of Buffalo.

When he was a boy, there was nothing but woods were Conroe is now located, and he saw the first saloon and lumber mill of the town. Among his recollections was a picture of Houston when the town was nothing more than a mudhole.

Mr. Johnson was married when he was 20 and was the father of nine children, six of whom preceded him in death.

Source: Unidentified news clipping, January 1944, probably in Conroe, Texas (local). Courtesy of Kay Dawes Knee, wife of a great grandson of the decedent.

NOTE: Thomas Peter Johnson married Mary Ann Winslow January 2, 1870. She is the daughter of William Winslow (1824 - 1896) and Elizabeth Jane Parrish (1828-1907). Tillis Prairie Cemetery is also know as the Mostyn Cemetery.