ROBERT JOHNSON

The following bio was taken from page 261 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas

Robert Johnson married Martha Ann Swinney in Carthage, Mississippi. There were five girls and eight boys born to this union. Martha came to Texas after the Civil War and brought her family to Laneville in 1846, since her husband had been killed in Carthage, Mississippi by a tree falling on him.

Henry Lafayette Johnson, born in Carthage, Mississippi, May 28, 1859, died June 14, 1934. He was thirteen years old when his brothers and sisters and their families came to Laneville to live. He joined the Methodist Church at Old Chinquapin when he was twenty years old. Later the Methodist Church was moved to the site of the present Redland Methodist Church. He married June 14, 1885 Elizabeth Priscilla Moore. She was the daughter of William Gaines Moore and Martha Ann Elizabeth (Cook-Keiser) Moore. She was born October 5, 1869 and died November 3, 1941.

To the Johnson’s, four boys and four girls were born. On December 22, 1912, one of these children, Annie Belle Johnson (May 19, 1892-November 3, 1928 (married Ernest John Walker (December 1, 1888-August 6, 1967). Two children were born to this union, a daughter and a son, Mattie Priscilla, born March 30, 1917 married on July 31, 1940 Edward Eugene Gage, who was born October 27, 1915. Three children were born to this union. The first child Sandra Jean, born July 8, 1942, first married on June 11, 1960, Maurice Pemburton Barton. The couple had tripletets born March 20, 1961 – Patee, Sandra and Christine. Sandra Jean’s second marriage was to Bob Becker in 1963. They had one child – Rebalyn, born July 13, 1964. Her third marriage was to Fred Gainer, born March 16, 1939. Their one child was Edward Wayne, born March 15, 1969. The fourth marriage was to Richard Earl Parkhurst. The fifth marriage on June 19, 1981 was to Calvin Bowen, born February 18, 1944.

Priscilla and Edward Eugene’s second child is Ciryl Lynn Gage, who was born August 20,1945. He first married Dorothy Campbell in June 1970 and they had one child – Amy Marie, born June 6, 1971. They also adopted Heather Elizabeth, who was born October 20, 1969. Ciryle’s second marriage was to Susan Elaine Cohan, born May 20, 1949. His stepchildren were Corina Nina, Ruth Haywood, born November 13, 1970, and his adopted son was William Eugene Herbert Gage, born July 8, 1974.

Eugene and Priscilla’s third child is Reba Ernestean, born October 13, 1948. Reba married May 11, 1974 Carrell Ray Robinson, who was born March 9, 1936. Her children by a former marriage are Ricky Ray Robinson, born November 5, 1956, and Mark Shelton Robinson, born January 1, 1958.

The son of Ernest Johnson Walker and Belle Johnson Walker was Ernest Johnson Walker, who was born September 19, 1920. He married Alberta Margaret Brandes on June 16, 1949. Three children born to this union are Melaine Jo, born July 19, 1954, David Michael, born December 22, 1955, and Alicia Dawn, born August 20, 1959.

Submitted by Priscilla Gage