G. J. Johnson

As printed in 1905

DR. G. J. JOHNSON.

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Rev. George J. Johnson was born at Trenton Falls. V., Oct. 9, 1824. He was educated in a school at Madison, now Colgate University, N. Y. He received his license to preach in his native place, and during his college days supplied the village church for months at a time. It was also in Trenton Falls that he was ordained, soon after which he came to Burlington, in 1848. as a missionary from the Baptist Home Mission Society. Here he established a church of twelve members, in an Upper room on Third Street. He soon built and paid for a respectable house of worship, and was prominently connected with the school known as the Burlington Institute, raising much of the money necessary for this school, and being a member of the financial executive board for many years.

After a pastorate of ten years in Burlington, Rev. Johnson went to Fort Madison, Iowa, where lie also assisted in the organization of a church, and served as its ])astor for five years, during which time he led the pe()i)le in the Iniildiiig of a good house of worship. Returning to Burlington, he served as district secretary of the American Baptist Publication

Society, for the field of the entire West, with headquarters at Burlington and Chicago.

In five years his district was changed to the southwest of the country, with headquarters in St. Louis. During the next two years he resided near Alton, Ill., and led in a campaign for the raising of one hundred thousand dollars for Shurtleff College. The next six years he was stationed at the city of Philadelphia, as the missionary secretary and Bible secretary of the Publication Society, making eighteen and a half years in all that he served this society. During this time he also preached, even more than when a regular pastor.

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Dr. Johnson had the pleasure of dedicating over one hundred church edifices in the different States and Territories, and baptized over eight hundred persons into new life. He certain) raised over one million dollars for various churches, schools, and missionary work. Ho never full recovered his health, and at last.

after months of patient waiting, God spoke the word, July 7, 1902, in St. Louis, Mo. The servant answered, and he was with God.

We would like to write more of his masterful ministerial labors, covering a period of over half a century, of his turning thousands to a life of righteousness, leading many young men to the ministry, building churches, endowing colleges, etc., and hold up his life more fully to the Aoung as an example, but this brief record forbids, so we will add a few notes of his happy domestic life.

Dr. Johnson became the husband of Maria Louisa Nickerson in 1850, in Caz- €nova, N. Y. Her father was a Baptist clergyman of western New York. Unto Dr. and Mrs. Johnson six children were born: Emma E. is the wife of Alexander E. Forbes, of St. Louis, Mo.; James Nickerson died Aug, 7, 1869; George Thomas became the husband of Miss Helen R. Forbes, of Alton, Ill., and died Nov. 19, 1892; Sarah M. resides with her sister, Mrs. Forbes; Kendall Warren married Miss Nellie Colwell, of Chicago; and Gove Griffith became the husband of Miss May F. Russell, of Hamilton, N. Y. The latter is a Baptist minister of marked ability.

It is impossible to speak adequately of the excellent traits which characterized Mrs. Johnson as a mother, a minister's wife, and a Christian. She had most winning natural traits, both of character and person, and under the sanctifying touch of the spirit, became one of the saintliest of women. On Sunday morning, Dec. 25, 1898, at her home in St. Louis, she received a loving invitation from her Lord to spend that Christmas day with Him in glory. She was ready to accept the invitation; her work was done; her "wedding garment" was prepared, and so she went where two of her sons had gone before her, mourned by hundreds of friends in each of the many cities which had been her home during the forty-eight years she had been the faithful and loving wife of Dr. Johnson.

As printed in Biographical review of Des Moines County, Iowa (1905). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.