#4 John McGee Johnson - husband of Minnie May Marion Kendall

John McGee Johnson

Husband of Minnie May Marion Kendall

Sometimes writing family history is not fun. Some people are enjoyable, but I don't get to choose to write about the 'bright lights' in the family. I write about them all, hoping I'm not jaundiced by personal bias.

John McGee Johnson was the father of John K Johnson Sr and paternal grandfather of John K Johnson Jr. He only knew his grandfather slightly.

Vitals:  

Born 25 Aug 1894 in Boston Massachusetts to

Mother: Mary Catherine Caroline McGee of Hopetown, Bonaventure, Gaspe, Canada and ? Johnson [unconfirmed that he was "John Johnson"] of Boston Mass, possibly a Swedish or Norwegian immigrant.

Married 30 Nov 1915, Minnie May Marion Kendall of Waterloo, Shefford, Quebec, Canada

- 1916 their 1st child, Marjorie, was born

He was working for Boston & Maine Railroad

- 1918 their  2nd child, Gordon, was born

- 1920 their 3rd child, Ronald, was born

- 1922 4th child, John Kendall, was born in E. Putney, VT

- 1928 5th child, Reta, was born

 Then on 1 Mar 1938, his wife Minnie, died in New Hampshire.

He worked for B & M Railroad in eastern New York

Died 25 Nov 1959 in Pinellas Park, Florida                            Buried: Cycadia Cemetery,Tarpon Springs, FL 

Unfortunately, neither his son, other relatives, including in-laws who knew him, did not have good things to say about JMJ (John McGee Johnson). 

His son, John K Johnson Sr was close to his mother, but not his father. And, when his mother (JMJ's wife) died in his adolescent years, my father-in-law bonded with his Aunt Grace, his cousin Ray Miner and his eldest brother Gordon (all now deceased).  

This is what I’ve heard about JMJ: an alcoholic, a philanderer, not a good husband, not kind and he played favorites with his (some of his) children. Even taking into account that it was a different era, and expectations about fathers were different, that is bad. 

In his favor, from his work history, he did support his family. I wouldn’t say they were well-off, but they were cared for. 

I would mention that Aunt Grace looked after his son John K Johnson after his mother died. That might be a credit to JMJ. Perhaps he was aware of his limitations, of his inability to nurture a son in his grief. I'm not sure how it came to be, but perhaps he saw the wisdom in allowing an aunt to step in to assist his son.

This is the end of family stories, to turn back to the facts of John McGee Johnson. 

If his father and mother married, his father died quite soon after his birth. Te

His mother re-married a man named Porter, or they considered themselves married (no proof). 

They appear in the 1910 Census in Medway, Massachusetts. Porter is the Head of the house, Mary the wife and John Johnson as stepson. Eva Porter is listed as "adopted." 

According to the census they had boarders (as many people did).

Soon after his wife Minnie's death, John M Johnson moved his family to eastern New York (Hoosic Falls) area. They lived in Eagle Bridge and later in Stillwater, NY.

1920s picture postcard of Hoosic Falls, NY

JMJ had a minor car accident in 1940; reported here in the newspaper (see yellow box). Troy Times Record.

Photo of JMJ and his son John K, his bride, Ruth Antilla on their wedding day in New Hampshire in July 1946.  

#3- The Finnish Invasion – Heikki Anttila and Ida Paavola

 Heikki Anttila and Ida Paavola of Finland

 My husband’s mother’s paternal grandparents (his great grandparents) were Henry Antilla and Ida Antilla from Finland. At the time Ida's immigration, Russia claimed possession of Finland.
VITALS:
Heikki Anttila (also spelleds: Henri, Henry Antilla)
   B. Sept 25 1856, Christened, Sep 28. 1856
   Location:
   Kankaan, Reisjärvi
   Oulun Laanista (Oulu area), Finland)
   D. Oct 5 1926, Buried  Oct 14 1926 in Troy, NH (70)
   
Naturalized as a US citizen:  26 July 26, 1904 in the County of St. Louis in Minnesota
 
Married: May 22, 1893 Fitchburg, Mass-marriage cert-by  Rev. George S Butters, Methodist Episcopal Church, 58 Oliver Street, Fitchburg, Mass.
 
Ida Maria Johanna [?] Paavola [also spelled Pavola, Poavola and Pavlova]
 B Sep 9 or Oct 10, 1875 in Hietala, Viipurin Msrk, Finland
 D. June 2, 1940 Troy, NH (65)
Children:
 1 - Johan  Aug 23, 1895- Aug 23, 1895, Fitchburg, MA
 2 - Väinö (Vaine) Oct 3, 1896-Feb 20, 1969 Fitchburg, MA
 3 - Jennie  1898 -?
 4 - Veino  1901 in Sparta, Minn-1973
 5 - * Antti (Andrew) Jul 11, 1903 in Sparta, Minn-Aug  25, 1949
 5 - Roy Benjamin Nov 24, 1908 in Troy, NH-Mar 20,1975
6 - Etheli 1911-1912
7  - Tauno Aug 27, 1913 Troy, NH- Nov 26, 1990 Peterborough, NH

* Antti ( or Andrew) Antilla married Marion Lottie Cook
Heikki and Ida were immigrants from different areas of Finland. Heikki changed his name to Henry and Anttila was anglicized to Antilla.  

When they married, Ida was a good deal younger: Ida gives her age as 18. Her father’s name as Andrew; her mother’s name was Eva.  At 35 Heikki was at least 17 years older than she (if you do the math, he would have been 37 that year). He gives his father’s name as John and his mother as Tinancy.

Heikki apparently immigrated with little or no English. If he was schooled, it wouldn't have mattered much. He worked for some years in Sparta, Minnesota in a granite mine. Records indicate that that granite mine was full of Finnish laborers.

They eventually moved back to New Hampshire. There was a small community of Finnish immigrants is southern New Hampshire and the Mass border.  The Finnish Lutheran churches (and other Finnish churches) were in existence to serve that group of people for a period of time. 

 

Heikki Anttila, Sparta, Minn

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t found a draft record for Henry and, being a hard-drinking man-as many Finns where, he died on the young side. It seems life was hard on Heikki. According to the 1910 census, Ida and Henry had a total of 9 children born to them, you can see several children did not reach adulthood.

 

Ida (Paavola) Antilla & dog, Troy, NH

Ida, according to Ruth Antilla (a granddaughter), was extremely fond of animals. She was very good with birds at calling song birds to them. She seems to have had a way with animals—a trait that many in the family continued to have. The only photo I have of Ida, she’s with a dog. 

 

Ida Anttila (widow)1927 Troy NH city directory

 

Antilla brothers in New Hampshire. Andrew Antilla is on the far right - 1950s
 

Aili Anttila - an "aunt" - photo from a relative in Finland

 

#2 - John S Warner and Myranda Petts: a story of Civil War, sisters, cousins and spouses

  John S Warner & Miranda Petts

My husband’s mother’s maternal great great grandfather was John S. Warner [New Hampshire], her maternal great grandmother was Myranda (or Miranda) Anette Petts. Their daughter Addie married a descendant of John Levi Cook (post #1)

The vitals: Civil War service, etc.

 John S Warner

  B. November 1837 in NH

  D. Nov 24, 1911, Keene, NH

Married July 1859 in Marlow, NH

Miranda/Myranda Petts

 B 1843 in NH

 D Jul 29, 1917 in West Swanzey, NH

Children:

*1- Addie Christiane Warner 1871-1966

2- Effie L. Warner B. 1874

3- Lottie May Warner B. 1876

4- Lyman Ferdinand Warner B. 1879

5- George A Warner B. 1884

John was living in New Ipswich, NH when he married Myranda (also spelled Miranda) Petts of Marlow, NH. He was a mechanic when he wed Myranda. 

 

He was 21, she was 17. They were married by DH Call at the Methodist Church in Marlow, NH in July 1859. 

Note their firstborn child was not born until 10 years after their wedding. The Civil War erupted almost right after the marriage.

Civil War Service

In 1860, they were living in Marlow, New Hampshire (23 years).  John enlisted in the Union army in Company A of 2nd New Hampshire Infantry in 1861.
He was wounded in 1862 at The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, when the Union encountered the Confederate rearguard near Williamsburg.  The Union assaulted Fort Magruder on May 5, 1862. Fort Magruder was part of the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War. John mustered out in 1862, due to wounds received in Williamsburg. 

Post-War

The family lived in 1865 in Winchendon, Mass (1865 Census), though her name is hard to read. It looks like they drifted back to NH after this. (New Hampshire is close to Winchendon).

Helps Their Baby Nephew?

In the meantime her sister Christiana, who was 2 years younger than she, died in 1871 (at 26 years old). She left an infant boy, Don Ferdinand Cook (who was only a few months old). At this time, her sister's family were close by in New Hampshire. I am only speculating but within 5 years the father was remarried and living in Maine. 

And because the widowed father was a Civil War vet taking care of an infant, (though I can't prove it) I am guessing that Miranda (Petts) and John S Warner took care of their nephew Don F Cook when he was very young.

Life In Keene NH

Then from 1880 (when he was 43) till his death John S Warner and family  lived in Keene, New Hampshire. He predeceased his wife while residing at 59 Douglas St, Keene, NH at age 74,“chronic nephritis” is listed as his cause of death.

As mentioned, John S Warner and Myranda Petts Warner had six children:
Addie Christiane (1871–1966), Effie L.  (1874–1950), Lottie May (1876–1950),  Lyman Ferdinand (1879–1952), George Albin (1884–?), and Marion (1886–?)

The Next Generation

I felt free to speculate on the closeness of the sisters due to the closeness of their children. Those early years for the young Don F Cook might have held some good memories because he married into his aunt's family. 

The firstborn Warner child, Addie, ended up marrying her late aunt's only son, Don Ferdinand Cook, the son of Christiana (Petts) & John Levi Cook.  This was a case of cousins marrying cousins. 

 Addie Christiane Warner and Don Ferdinand Cook are my husband's great-grandparents.

Post 1 - John Levi Cook - Mass Regiment, Civil War, Returns North to Run a Store in Maine

 John Levi Cook  

Vitals: Son of John Cook (b 1805) and Cynthia Metcalf
He was born abt 1841 in Ashburnham, MA
Died 28 Nov 1910 in West Bath, Maine
 

John Levi Cook married Christiana L Petts (my husband's 2nd great grandmother)
She, Christian L Petts, was born in 1845 in Stoddard, NH or in Nelson, NH. She died 30 Sep 1871 in Concord and was buried in Keene, NH
She had given birth to their only child in late June of the same year.
Their son was Don Ferdinand Cook (great grandfather of husband) who was born 24 Jun 1871in  Keene, NH and died 16 Dec 1939 in Keene, NH.

 John Levi Cook's Civil War Duty

John L. Cook of the Union Army was assigned to the 21 Massachusetts Infantry (21st Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry), Company G.
His rank when he mustered in was as Musician, and his rank when he mustered out: Principal Musician (he was a drummer).
 A family source, Bob Cook, wrote in the 1990's that, "His drum is still owned by the family.”  (where it is, we don't know!)

 Maryland

John L Cook was involved in guard duty to protect railroads in Maryland, quite possibly in Baltimore secured by Union troops as it had a large number of Confederate sympathizers.
The General who led this was from Massachusetts as was his regiment.

 North Carolina/VA border

He was then in North Carolina under General Burnside–likely in the opening phase of what came to be called the Burnside Expedition at the Battle of Roanoke Island, an amphibious operation of the American Civil War, on February 7–8, 1862.
This was fought in North Carolina Sounds, a short distance south of the Virginia border.
 

After this, John L Cook was with General Pope's fight at Sulphur Springs at what is called “The First Battle of Rappahannock Station” in August 1862, in Culpeper County and Fauquier County, Virginia. The two armies fought a series of minor actions along the Rappahannock River, including Waterloo Bridge, Lee Springs, Freeman's Ford, and Sulphur Springs. 

He then went a bit further north/west to:
1st - The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas, Virginia, August 28–30, 1862 and
2nd - To the Battle of South Mountain, MD, September 14, 1862
3rd - He fought in Maryland at the Battle of Antietam in Maryland (a very bloody battle) on September 17, 1862.

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Then the army turned south again to Fredericksburg, Virginia.
By November 1862, his army was perched at the Rappahannock River opposite Fredericksburg, VA.
The Confederate army established a strong defensive position across the river in the town.
After waiting for weeks for the the arrival of pontoon bridges, the Union general finally began to look for places to cross the river to attack.  

Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg, Virginia

Not until December 11 did the Union cross the Rappahannock to attack the Fredericksburg.  On December 13, 1862  Lee defeated the Union army at the Battle of Fredericksburg (VA). The Union retreated back across the Rappahannock River under cover of night. 

Unfortunately John Levi Cook was shot in the knee at Fredericksburg and captured very likely during battle of December 13, 1862.

City of Fredericksburg from Union side

John L Cook is freed on the field. Probably not an escape but a parole. The armies usually didn't have the time or the resources to handle prisoners; they were “paroled.” Parole was a sort of solemn promise to not return to your Army until you were exchanged for another prisoner.
However, in practice it meant most men took their papers and went home permanently.

 

Mustering Out

 John Levi Cook mustered out of service in 1863, but since it was December 1862 when he was captured then loosed, he probably formally mustered out once he made his way out of Fredericksburg.

North: Marriage and Maine 

At some point he made his way north. His home was on the Mass/NH border and some how he met (or re-met) Christiana Petts from a town north of Keene, New Hampshire. I can only speculate. Perhaps they knew one another prior to the war? 

They wed in New Bedford, Massachusetts on April 8, 1868. She had a child, Don Ferdinand Cook (my husband's great grandfather) in June of 1871, but died only a few months after childbirth. 

John L Cook later married Abbie Everline Clifford. He spent the rest of his life in Maine. Why he went to Maine, I don't know. He worked (or owned) in a store in Winnegance, Maine like this one.