In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1906) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1839
From History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens (1906), A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio; (1896)
ENJAMIN JOHNSON, a highly respectable and prosperous farmer of Willshire township. Van Wert county, ! Ohio, is a native of Pennsylvania and was born June 1, 1839. His father, Elias Johnson, was born in Brooke county, Va., was reared a farmer, and was married in his native county to Miss Jemima Dimmit, daughter of Jacob Dimmit. ' To this couple were born the following children: Benjamin, Wil- I son, Elizabeth, Jacob, Mary C., Marietta and Annetta. The parents of this family settled in Willshire, Van Wert county, Ohio, in 1850, and here the father died June 11, 1861, his wife having departed in September, 1859, greatly venerated by their neighbors as pioneers and as members of the United Brethren church.
Benjamin Johnson was but ten years of age when his parents settled on a part of his present farm in Willshire township; since then he has become one of the prominent agriculturists of the county and has assisted in converting the township from a wilderness into a garden. His marriage took place June 24, 1860, to Delilah Morehead, daughter of Vinton and Phebe fHeller) Morehead, and to this congenial union have been born the following children: Wilson W., Rosa, Melvin A., Annie,
Callinda A. and Benjamin F. (deceased) and an infant, also deceased. Of the above, Wilson W. was married December 21, 1887, to Miss Nellie Mason, daughter of Gustavus and Mary (Trunky) Mason — the former a farmer of Defiance county, Ohio. The home farm of Mr. Johnson contains 1S0 acres, is well ditched and well stocked, and no better-kept farm of its size exists in the county. In politics Mr. Johnson is a republican, and in religion is a pillar in the radical branch of the United Brethren in Christ. He has seen a mighty change made in Van Wert county, since, when a child of ten years, he sat on the luncheon slabs that formed the seats of the old-fashioned log school-house. Mr. Johnson is one of the hard-working, thorough-going, upright men, and is most favorably known throughout the county of Van Wert.
As printed in A portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert counties, Ohio; (1896). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
JENJAMIN JOHNSON, who for the past 40 years has resided on his present farm of 160 acres, in section n, Willshire township, this county, owns one of the most thoroughly improved and finely cultivated states of the locality. He was born in Pennsylvania, near the border of West Virginia, on June 1, 1839, and is a son of Elias and Jemima (Emmett) Johnson.
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County; George, of Liberty township, and three children who died in infancy. Wilson Johnson, the second born of the family, enlisted for service in the Civil War — first, for three months, and one year later, reenlisting under Capt. T. S. Gilliland and serving for three years. After the war he returned home and finally died in Willshire.
Benjamin Johnson was reared to the age of nine years in Brooke County, West Virginia. His parents then started for Willshire township, Van Wert County, the trip to Cincinnati being made by boat and that to St. Mary by canal. The mother and other children, with the household goods, were stowed away in the great canvas-covered conveyance coming from St. Marys; Benjamin still remembers how proud he was to make the journey on horseback with his father. The family settled near the present farm, and Benjamin Johnson lias spent all his subsequent years in this township, his homestead of 160 acres being all that remains in the family of his father’s former large body of entered land. When he took up his residence here, a small clearing had been made and a cabin built: now a handsome family residence stands in place of the latter, and 100 acres of the farm are under a fine state of cultivation.
On June 24, 1860, Benjamin Johnson was united in marriage with Delila Morehead, who was born in Liberty township and died September 24, 1904, aged 63 years and 24 days. The deceased lady was the estimable daughter of Vinton and Phoebe (Heller) Morehead, pioneers who had preceded the Johnson family in Willshire township. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had seven children born to them: — Wilson Wallace: Rose Alphia May, deceased: Annie, wife of Fred Handwerk. of Willshire township: Melvin A., who lives at home: Clalinda Alice, wife of David T. Johnson, of Fort
Wayne, Indiana; Benjamin F., deceased; and a child who died when an infant.
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As printed in History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Their biographies name Benjamin Johnson: Avis Johnson (b. 1783)
The printed record stops around 1906. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.