Mary A. (Finn) JOHNSON

FINN, WATSON, SAMPSON, PATTON, ZICKEFOOSE, PARK, MAY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/31/2008 at 14:56:51

MRS S. C. WATSON AND MRS J. D. JOHNSON

A double funeral ceremony was held at the Methodist Church at Elmdale, Sunday afternoon for Mrs. J. D. Johnson and Mrs. S. C. Watson victims of the worst accident that this community has known for along time and more awful than anything connected with most short lives upon earth. No deaths have caused more real sorrow to an entire community than the death of the two ladies who were killed by a fast freight train while crossing the tracks in Elmdale, last Friday night. It has caused a feeling of awful sorrow that two lives were taken in this way and a feeling of sorrow for a community which has last forever two of the most kind and the most joyable souls it has ever known. And a sorrow for the relatives and closer friends for both of these reasons.

They were sisters, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Joel Finn. They were both born in Iowa, but came to Kansas with their parents at an early age. They came all the way in a covered wagon drawn by an ox team and on Mrs. Johnson's twelfth birthday, Jul 17, 1870 they camped for dinner in what is known as the Maxwell Timber on Middle Creek west of Elmdale. The family later homesteaded in Marion at the head of Middle Creek where the two young ladies lived until they were married.

Mrs. Watson, whose maiden name was Ella D. Finn, was born in Wright County, Iowa, September 25 1852. She was eighteen years old at the time they came out and two years later was married to Stephen C Watson. They were the parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, five of whom survive her. They are: Mrs. J. W. Sampson of Florence, Mrs. A. S. Patton of Round Mountain, California, Wheeler L. Watson at Johnson City, Kansas, Warren J. Watson of Clements, and Mrs. W. E. Zickefoose who lives in Emporia. Mrs. Watson united with the Baptist church at the age of eighteen but at the time of her death she had become a member of the Methodist Church of Emporia.

Mary A. Finn was six years younger than her sister. She was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, Jul 17 1858 and was married to J. D. Johnson Jul 4th 1881. Two daughters were born, only one of whom, Mrs. J. T. Park of Clements, is now living. Mrs. C. W. May, the second daughter preceded her to the great unknown a little more than a year. Her husband died about three months ago at their home in Elmdale. Mrs. Watson then came from her home in Clements and the two ladies had for the past three months made their home together in Elmdale.

The double ceremony was held at the Methodist church at Elmdale, Sunday afternoon. The body of the late Mrs. Johnson was then laid at rest in the Elmdale cemetery and that of Mrs. Watson at the cemetery at Clements. Rev. C A Rock of Elmdale conducted the ceremony and payed a beautiful tribute to the lives which had been so full of usefulness to everyone with whom they came in contact, always extending willing hands to aid the needy or the sick and always anxious to serve their God. The loss has been felt keenly by a great many people and they have tried to pay fitting tribute at the end of two beautiful lives.

Chase County Leader News
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
July 13, 1921