JOHN

The John Family

1^st generation

William A. John

1835-1904

Mary A. Davis

1839-1922

William A. John was born in Wales in about 1835. Mary A. Davis[1] was born in Llansemle, Glamorgan, South Wales on 9 March 1839, the daughter of John Davis (1798 Wales-after 1850 Minersville, PA) and his second wife Elinor or Ellen Williams (1795 Wales-bet.1865-1870 MO).[2]

Per the 1900 census Mary immigrated to this country in 1847 and was naturalized in 1852. There is a record of a Mary Davis, age 7, on the ship Cambridge which originated in Wales, arriving in the U.S. on 17 Sept 1847, and that may be the same person. However, there is no listing of Mary’s father John Davis or her mother Elinor or Ellen Davis on the same ship. According to family researcher G. Newborg, this family arrived in Philadelphia on 3 Aug 1847 after a voyage of 9 weeks from Liverpool.

The family is found in the 1850 Minersville, Schuylkil Co., PA census as follows: John Davis 52, Ellen 55, John 25, William 20, Ellen 14, Mary 11.

By the end of her long life of more than 80 years, Mary Davis John, a true pioneer wife, had crossed the entire country from Pennsylvania to Ohio to Missouri to Nebraska to Montana and finally to Washington state.

The name appears in some records as Johns.

William and Mary John had the following children:

i. John D. John b. 1860 Pennsylvania

ii. Mary Ann John, b. 1863 Pennsylvania

iii. William A. John, b. 1866 Pennsylvania

iv. Ellen or Elenor John, b. 1868 Ohio

v. David H. John b. 1871 Ohio, d. 1945 Washington

vi. Thomas Herbert John (b. 1887 Missouri) m. Effie A.

Dempsey

vii. Albert A. John (b. 1877 Missouri) m. Mary E., d. 1967

Washington

viii. Angelie John (b. 1882 Missouri)

The family is found in the 1860 Cass Township, Schuykill County, Pennsylvania census[3] as follows:

John, William, 25, miner, Wales

Mary, 21, Wales

John D., infant, PA

Davis, Ellen, 65, Wales (Mary’s mother)

Davis, Thomas, 7, PA (Mary's nephew)

Thomas Davis was the son of Mary's brother William and his first wife Ann Hughes who had died, and William turned Thomas over to his sister Mary to raise. William remarried and had more children but did not take his son Thomas back into his home. (Information from G. Newborg, Thomas Davis' great-granddaughter.)

The family is found in the 1870 Trumbull County, Ohio, census, p. 191 as follows:

Johns, William A. 34 b. Wales, coaldigger

Mary 32, b. Wales

John D. 10 b. PA

Mary A. 7 b. PA

William 4 b. Ohio

Elenor 2 Ohio

It appears from this census that the family left Pennsylvania between 1863 and 1868 and moved to Trumbull County, Ohio. By 1877 they had moved to Carroll County, Missouri.

The family is found in the 1880 Carroll County, Missouri census as follows:

John, William A. 45 b. Wales, farmer

Mary W. 41 b. Wales

John B. 20 PA

Mary Ann 17 PA

William A. 14 PA

Ellen 12 OH

David 9 OH

Thomas 6 MO

Albert A. 3 MO

In 1882 the youngest child, a daughter, Angelie, was born in Missouri. Sometime after that, at least by 1889, the family apparently moved to Nebraska.

The daughters Mary Ann and Ellen probably married in Nebraska.

The oldest son, John D. John, married his wife Lydia in Missouri where their first child was born, but by 1889 they were in Nebraska where they had three more children. By 1896 they were in Montana where they remained through at least 1903. By 1906 they were in Yakima, Washington.

By 1897 the sixth child, Thomas, was married to Effie and living in Nebraska. 1900 Antelope Co., NE, Ancestry.com image 14: Thomas H. Johns 25, Jul 1874, married 4 years; MO Eng Eng; wife Effie 23, Jul 1876, 2 children 2 living, IA IN IN; son Albert H. 3, Oct 1896 NE; son John 9 mos. Aug 1899 NE. They remained in Nebraska through 1907. By 1914 he was living in Yakima, Washington.

According to the 1900 census, Mary was a widow in Montana; however, William had apparently gone ahead to Washington state. The census record is as follows: 1900 Bozeman, Gallatin Co., MT, Ancestry.com image 55: Mary John widow 61, Mar 1839, 8 children, 7 living, WAL WAL WAL; son Willie 34, Dec 1865 OH; son David 29, Feb 1871 OH; dau Angelie 18, Feb 1882 MO. Date of immigration 1847, date of naturalization 1852. (In the 1910 census Mary has 8 children, 8 living, so one or the other is a mistake.)

Mary’s oldest son John and his family were also in Bozeman, Montana in 1900: 1900 Bozeman, Gallatin Co., MT census, Ancestry.com image 51: John D. John 40, Apr 1860 PA PA PA, married 17 years; wife Lydia 33, Sep 1866 WAL WAL WAL, 7 children, 6 living; Nellie 13, Jan 1887 MO; David 10, Jul 1889 NE; Herbert 8, Oct 1891 NE; Lorena 5, Aug 1894 NE; Ethel 3, Aug 1896 MT; Loretta 8 mos., Sep 1899 MT.

Based on the dates of birth of John’s children, the families probably moved to Montana about 1892-1894.

By the time the John families arrived in the late 1890s, Bozeman was a thriving town with all the amenities, but this was just 30 years after the first settlers arrived and just 10 years after the Northern Pacific railroad opened across the state. Bozeman was described on its website as a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains where snow may be seen the year around. Those of us who love Yellowstone National Park in the summertime can only imagine what it would be like to live there through the winter.

Ever heading westward, possibly hoping for a milder climate, the families moved to Yakima, Washington, in the early 1900s.

William A. John died in Yakima, Washington on 1 August 1904 and is buried in the Tahoma Cemetery.

In 1910 Mary, age 71, was living with her youngest son Albert. 1910 Wapato pct, Yakima, WA census, Ancestry.com image 11: Al John 31 married 4 years MO MO MO, mother Mary 71 widow 8 children, 8 living, WALES.

Mary’s oldest son John D. John was nearby: 1910 Yakima, WA census, p. 36B: John D. John 50 PA WAL WAL married 26 years; wife Lydia M. 44 WAL WAL WAL, 9 children, 8 living; son David W. 20 NE, son Herbert B. 18 NE, dau Ann L. 15 NE, dau Lydia E. 12 MT, dau Mable L. 10 MT, dau Florence W. 7 MT, son John G. 4 WA.

Apparently Mary’s sons Thomas and David were boarding on farms where they worked at this time. Their families do not appear with them in the census: Tom Johns 35 single MO MO MO boarder. His brother David also listed as single, a boarder, on the next page. Possibly they had just arrived in Washington from Nebraska.

By 1920 Mary, at age 80, was still living with her youngest son Albert. The 1920 Yakima County, Washington, census shows this family as follows:

John, Albert A. 42 b. MO, parents b. Wales

Ella 30

Albert L. 6

Shotie (sp?) 3 daughter

Mary, 80, b. Wales (Albert's mother)

Mary’s oldest son John D. John and his family appeared in the 1920 census as follows: 1920 West Ahtanum, Yakima, WA, Ancestry.com image 2: John D. John 61 PA, Lydia 53, dau Florence 16, son John 13.

Mary son Thomas John and his family appeared in the 1920 census as follows: 1920 Yakima Co., WA census, East Wapato Precinct, household 47: Johns, Thomas H. 45, farmer, b. MO, both parents b. Wales; Effie A. wife 43 b. IA, father b. IN, mother b. IA; son Albert 23, b. NE, son Jessie L. 19 b. NE, son David H. 17, b. NE, dtr Rosie V. 12, b. NE, dtr Anna A. 6, b. WA.

Also in the 1920 Yakima County, Washington, census, p. 14B, was the family of David John:

John, David 47, b. OH, parents b. Wales

Mary E. 45, b. Iowa

Mary John died 26 Mar 1922 in Yakima County, Washington, and is buried in the Tahoma Cemetery beside her husband.

The oldest son John D. John appeared in the 1930 census as follows: 1930 West Ahtanum, Yakima, WA, Ancestry.com image 2: John D. John 69, married at 23; Lydia 64, married at 17; son John G. 24.

John D. John was not found in the Washington Death Index. His wife Lydia died in Yakima, WA in 1949.

David John appeared in the 1930 census as follows: 1930 E. Wapato, Yakima Co., WA census, Ancestry.com image 4: Dave H. Johns 59, married first at 35 OH WAL WAL; wife Mary E. 52, married first at 23 IA IN IL; son Raymond 12, son Alfred 28 [Alfred is Mary's son by first marriage]

The Washington Death Index shows David H John’s date of death as 28 December 1945, age 74, in Yakima, WA.

Thomas John died 20 February 1928, per a great-niece, Cheryl Latendresse. His widow Effie appeared in the 1930 census as follows: 1930 Yakima, WA census, E.Wapato, p. 1B: Effie Johns 51 widow, IA IA IA; David H. son 28 NE NE IA; Anna 15 WA NE IA. Effie A. John died February 10, 1958, in Yakima, Washington.

Albert John appeared in the 1930 census as follows: 1930 Yakima WA census, p. 9A: Albert John 53, first md at 27, MO WAL WAL, mgr. transfer company; Ella 40, first md at 22, MO MO MO, Albert L. son 16 WA, Chester H. 13 son, WA; Emma Lawrence, mother-in-law, widow, 63, MO TN IL, nurse, private home.

Albert’s wife Ella died 2 August 1940 in King County, WA. Albert died 14 July 1967 in Yakima, WA per the Washington Death Index.

No information has been found on William and Mary’s daughters.

2^nd generation

Thomas Herbert John

(1875-1928)

Effie Adeline Dempsey

1876-1958

Photos~thanks to M. Jaap

Rose John about 1908

Thomas, Effie & Rose John about 1912

Effie John with children Albert, Rose, Jessie, David

Effie John with her mother Mary Jane Dempsey and daughter Rose

Effie John

Effie John with her grandson-1937

Thomas Herbert John was born about 1875 in Carroll County, Missouri, the sixth of eight children of William A. and Mary W. John. In some records the name is Johns.

Effie Adeline Dempsey[4] was born about 14 July 1876 in Benton County, Iowa,

the fifth of eleven children of John Wesley Dempsey (1838-1920) and Mary Jane Parcel (1848-1929). (see DEMPSEY)

Effie appears in the 1880 Benton Co., Iowa census with her parents and six siblings, listed as Adeline, age 4. That is most likely her middle name, but she was known as Effie by all who remember her.

Thomas and Effie were married 15 Jan 1896 in Antelope County, Nebraska, where they were living at the time of their first child's birth in 1897.

They had the following children:

i. Albert John b. 1897 Nebraska, m. Edna 1926

ii. Jessie L. John, b. 1901 Nebraska, d. 1968 Washington

iii. David H. John, b. 1903 Nebraska, 1976 Washington

iv. Rose Violet John (1907-1993) m. Floyd Henry Whiteside

(see WHITESIDE)

v. Anna John, b. 1914 Washington, d. 1997 Washington

The family lived in Nebraska until after Rose's birth in 1907. Thomas’ widowed mother Mary and several of his brothers had been living in Montana, but all of them moved to Yakima, Washington, before 1910. Thomas appears in the 1910 census as follows: 1910 Wapato, Yakima, WA census, ED 293, sheet 28B: Tom Johns 35 single MO MO MO boarder. Possibly he had just arrived in Washington and was boarding at a farm where he worked. In 1910 Effie’s parents were still living in Antelope County, Nebraska, but Effie and her children were not living with them. In 1914 Thomas and Effie’s youngest child Anna was born in Wapato, Yakima County, Washington, where they had a dairy farm.

G. Newborg provided the following article from Wapato History & Heritage: The John Family by Edna John: "The John brothers came to this area from Tildon, Nebraska... Thomas came in 1905 and helped [his brother] John build a 2-story house at Tahoma Cemetery. Later Thomas bought 20 acres south of Wapato and started a dairy, and rented an adjoining 80 acres to raise hay and grain for feed. The dairy herd increased to 100 cows. Tom's oldest son Albert joined the business and it became T. John and Son Dairy. They bought their first milk truck from Renting Motor Co. In 1925 there was no electricity on their ranch. The cows were milked, milk bottled, and separator cranked by hand. Cattle feed was ground and water pumped by gasoline powered motors. Bottles were hand washed and sterilized in steam from a coal stoked steam boiler. Extra grain and milk were fed to pigs sold to Degenhart Meat Market. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas John are: Albert, who married Edna Taylor, farmed and were in business in Wapato where she now lives; Jess and David, also farmed; and Rose John Whiteside and Anna John Markham, who attended Wapato schools."

The family appears in the 1920 Yakima County, Washington census, East Wapato precinct, as follows:

Johns, Thomas H. 45 farmer, b.. MO, both parents b. Wales

Effie A., 23 [should be 43?] b. Iowa, father b. IN, mother b. IA

Albert 23 b. NE

Jessie L. 19 b. NE

David H. 17 b. NE

Rosie V. 12 b. NE

Anna A. 6 b. WA

On 20 February 1928, Thomas John died. This information was provided by his great niece Cheryl Latendresse.

In 1926 Rose married Floyd Whiteside.

The 1930 Yakima Co., WA census, p. 1B, shows Effie Johns, 51, a widow, born in Iowa and both parents born in Iowa, living with her son David H. 28 and daughter Anna 15. Next door to them is her son Jesse L. Johns, 30, his wife Anna, and daughters Betty L. 3 and Elsa M. 2. On page 2B is her son Albert Johns 34, his wife Edna 24, and their daughter Hazel B. 3.

Effie A. John died February 10, 1958, in Yakima, Washington, at the age of 81 years, 6 months, 26 days. She was buried in Tahoma Cemetery in Yakima, Washington. (This information from her funeral book.)

Thomas and Effie John Tombstone

No death record has been found for Thomas and Effie’s two oldest sons, Albert and John.

Thomas and Effie’s son Jessie died in Toppenish on 04 Nov 1968. His residence was Yakima. Washington Death Index Certificate No. 027480.

Thomas and Effie’s son David died in Yakima in Jan 1976 per the SSDI.

When Rose died in 1993, only her younger sister Anna Markham was listed as a surviving sibling.

Thomas and Effie’s youngest daughter Anna John Markham died 4 Dec 1997, in Yakima, WA, per the SSDI.

There is a photograph of Effie with her three sons and daughter Rose, and a photograph of Thomas and Effie with Rose. Another photograph shows Effie, Rose, and Effie's mother, Mary Jane Parcel Dempsey.

For further information, see the Yakima Co., WA website:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~wayakima/

also, the Antelope County, Nebraska website:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~neantelo/

**End Notes**
[1] Ancestry.com message board posting by Cheryl Latendresse gave names and birth dates. Information from G. Newborg. [2] Ellen Davis, 65, bp Wales, appears in the 1860 Schuylkill Co., PA census, p. 189, Ancestry.com image 29, living with her daughter (or possibly granddaughter) Mary and Mary’s husband William John. Information from G. Newborg. [3] Ibid. [4] Names and dates from Effie’s funeral book

[1] Ancestry.com message board posting by Cheryl Latendresse gave names and birth dates. Information from G. Newborg.

[2] Ellen Davis, 65, bp Wales, appears in the 1860 Schuylkill Co., PA census, p. 189, Ancestry.com image 29, living with her daughter (or possibly granddaughter) Mary and Mary’s husband William John. Information from G. Newborg.

[4] Names and dates from Effie’s funeral book

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