Johnson, Donald G. 1860-1935 & Anna M. Agnes Family

JOHNSON, AGNES, RICHARDS, ALFT

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 7/26/2023 at 09:09:54

Johnson, Donald Goddard 1860-1935 & Annie Margaret Agnes Family

This story was taken from pages 412-413 of the Ireton Centennial Book (1882-1982). Author unknown. The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg.

Donald Goddard Johnson was born Dec. 1860 in County Wexford, Ireland, educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Eire until 17. He came to the U.S. and to Richmond, Va. In 1878. He bought land in Plymouth Co., Ia. In 1881 and sold it in 1887. Later he bought 160 acres in Sioux Co., Eagle Twp., Sec. #26 in 1888 and farmed it until the early 1920’s when he moved into Ireton.

Donald married Annie Margaret Agnes in 1889 at LeMars. She was born in Milwaukee, Wi. in Jan. 1867. Her parents moved to LeMars vicinity in 1869. She taught rural schools in Plymouth Co. from 1884 to 1889.

For their honeymoon, they loaded an old “democrat” wagon with their paltry belongings, hitched the team and drove some 20 miles to their little 3-room house where he had “batched”—some 5 miles NW of Ireton. Some of the prairie land had been broken and planted to corn. He had 2 horses, 2 cows, 8 pigs, and 24 chickens, which were sheltered in an old, dilapidated shed located near the well. Strong winds were broken by a boxelder grove north and west of the house. The grove also provided wood for heat and cooking. The most important job for Donald was to break more prairie so more crops could be planted, thence more income. This was hard work, requiring 10 to 12 hours per day in the field, then on his return to the house, the plow blade had to be sharpened along with other tools.

Five children were born to the Johnsons: Some research notes were added to the book story information on the children by Wilma J. Vande Berg.

1. Frances was born Feb. 1890. She attended a rural school, later graduated from Ireton High School. She became a medical doctor after graduating from Rush Medical School and the Univ. of Chicago. She died in 1972 in Milwaukee, Wi.
Find a Grave lists Dr. Frances Johnson born 1890 died 1972 Milwaukee WI buried Pleasant Hill cemetery Ireton IA, with spouse as Dorothy Johnson. (Actually Dorothy was a sister was listed on Frances’s headstone)
Death record has death date as 9 Mar 1972 Milwaukee WI, Soc Sec Death Index lists birth as 11 Feb 1890.
Delayed birth Cert list Frances a female born 11 Feb 1890 Sioux county IA, to Donald Goddard Johnson and Anna Margaret Agnes.

2. Robert was born in 1891 and graduated in Civil Engineering at Iowa State College in 1914. He worked for Pittsburg Steel & Iron Co., building several bridges in Sioux Co. He served in the U.S. Naval Academy in 1917 and died in Ottawa, Canada, during WWI, while building hydroplane bases near Halifax.
Find A Grave lists Robert S. Johnson born 1891 died 1918 buried Pleasant Hill Ireton.
Ancestry.com family report lists Robert Samuel Johnson born 22 Nov 1891 Ireton IA died 13 oct 1918 Carleton, Ontario, Canada, not married.

3. Donald Kenneth was born 30 Jun 1898, educated in country school and Hawarden High School. He was inducted in the Army on Nov. 10, 1918, serving only one day, as the Armistice was signed the next day. He married Evelyn (Miller) of Hawarden in 1919 and they lived on the home farm, where the Wessel Wynja family recently lived. They had 4 sons. They moved to Milwaukee, Wi. In the late 1920’s.
Family report on Ancestry.com lists Donald Kenneth Johnson born 30 Jun 1897 Eagle Twp Sioux county IA died 19 Dec 1972 La Feria, TX, wife was Evelyn Miller 1897-1989, Children were Robert Samuel Johnson 1921-2005, Phillip Douglas Johnson 1922-2003, Donal Stewart Johnson 1929-1992 and one other child.

4. Colin Ward was born in 1904 and graduated from Ireton High School in 1922. He died in Mass. In 1971. A family report on ancestry.com lists Colin Ward Johnson born 27 Aug 1904 Eagle Twp Sioux County IA died 21 Aug 1971 Boulder CO. Wife was Dorothy Ann Ogden 1906-1987, and two others listed as private due to current dates.

5. Dorothy A. was born in 1906, graduated from Ireton High School in 1923 and attended Northwestern College one year then taught a rural school in Eagle Twp. for two years. She furthered her education at the Univ. of Iowa and Yale Univ. in Conn. and taught in Milwaukee. She went into war work in Milwaukee and spent 27 years in Civil Service, retiring in 1968. She now lives in Estes Park, Co.
From a family report on ancestry.com Dorothy Anne Johnson was born 17 Jan 1906 Ireton IA died 24 Feb 1990 Estes Park CO, she was not married.

Donald Goddard Johnson died at Spirit Lake, June 1935 and Annie passed away in Milwaukee, WI. June 1943.

Mr. Johnson was one of the British group that settled in LeMars in about 1880. He was a great tennis player and known to the group as “Johnnie.”

RESEARCH Note: added by Wilma J. Vande Berg.
From a family report on ancestry.com submitted by other family members:
Donald Goddard Johnson was born 22 Dec 1860 Wexford Ireland died 13 Jun 1935 Spirit Lake IA. His parents were Samuel Johnson 1812-1883 and Mary Anne Richards 1826-1908. He married Annie Margaret Agnes on 6 Apr 1889 at Akron IA. Her parents were Michael Agnes 1822-1905 and Christene Alft 1820-1895. Their children are listed in the above narrative.

OBITUARY OF DONALD JOHNSON
Hawarden Independent June 13, 1935
Donald Johnson Died Suddenly
The funeral of Donald G. Johnson, who died at Spirit Lake, Iowa, last Thursday, was held at Ireton Saturday afternoon from the Presbyterian church where the body lay in state from 12 noon until the funeral hour at 2:00 p.m. and was viewed by many friends. His sudden passing, being sick only a little more than a day, was a shock to his many friends here where he had lived so many years in town and on a farm, four miles northwest of here. Since leaving Ireton for Spirit Lake he has returned a few times to visit his many friends.
Donald Goddard Johnson was born In County Wexford, Ireland, Dec. 22, 1860, being one of a family of ten children. He lived in Ireland, attending school in England and Trinity College at Dublin until he was 18 years old when he came to America, locating at Le Mars. He lived at Le Mars for about a year at the Captain Morton experimental farm and school. He then engaged in farming in partnership with Tom Douglas, another young Englishman from the Morton farm. They farmed 12 miles west of Le Mars. In 1888 he moved to Eagle; township, Sioux county, where he lived for years until purchasing the Hamilton Scott farm, known as the Evergreen Farm. The family moved to Ireton in 1917 where a fine modern home had been erected. He was united in marriage with Annie Agnes at Akron April 6, 1889, and to this union five children were born, three sons and two daughters.
His oldest son, Robert Samuel, preceded him in death Oct 13, 1918. He is survived by his wife and four children, Kenneth and Collin Johnson, Dr. France Johnson and Miss Dorothy Johnson. He also leaves a sister in Ireland. For the past three years he has lived at this home in Spirit Lake during the summer and spent the winters in Milwaukee, Wis with his daughters where Mrs. Johnson will not make her home. Mr. Johnson was an unusual personality. He had a strong feeling of kinship with his fellowmen and was sincerely interested in their welfare. This caused him to be a good friend and a valued neighbor. His excellent education and wide reading led him into broad views of the world and its affairs.
He was brought up in the Church-of- England in which his brother was an honored priest, and high official. He was a liberal in his thinking and this spirit prevailed in his religious ideals. However, this did not lead to a negation of religious truth. It is true that minor matters often associated with religion and extreme positions frequently held were not even interesting to him, but he believed whole heartedly in the great essential Christian verities and responded in approval when they were presented. He stood high in the regard of the community and will long be affectionately remembered.

OBITUARY OF ANNIE JOHNSON
Source: Sioux County Capital (8-5-1943)
Born: January 17, 1867
Died: July 28, 1943
Annie Margaret Agnes Johnson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 17, 1867. She moved from Wisconsin with her family in 1869 to Marion, Iowa. Later they moved to Plymouth County where she grew to young womanhood. She was married to Donald Goddard Johnson on April 6, 1889 and started farming in Eagle Township, Sioux County. To this union were born five children, one of whom preceded his mother in death in the last World War. Besides Robert Samuel, the children include Dr. Frances, Donald Kenneth of Milwaukee, Colin Ward of Worcester, Massachusetts and Dorothy of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Johnson passed away in 1935. One granddaughter and six grandsons also survive, two of whom are in the air corps.
For the last ten years Mrs. Johnson has spent her winters in Milwaukee at the home of her daughter Frances and Her summers at Spirit Lake, Iowa.
Mrs. Johnson passed away at Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 29th after several months’ illness. To her friends here she is especially remembered for having had a part in establishing the Ireton public library. She was always interested in the civic affairs of her hometown. She was a member of Missionary societies of both the Methodist and Presbyterian groups, also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Order of the Eastern Star.

This picture of the Donald G. Johnson farm was found in the 1908 Atlas of Sioux County Part IV Section 3 page 9. If you have a family picture to share contact our page coordinator.

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