Johnson 1st Cousins

Manny and Trish

 

Manny and Trish (Patricia) Simao are my first cousins from the Johnson side.  They are the children of Ellen Jane Johnson (my Dad's sister) and Manual Simao. 

Manny is about the same age as me and Trish is about the same age as my sister Tudy was.  

Trish and Manny Simao

In the photo above I would guess that Manny is about four and Trish is about two years old.  They are half Portuguese from their Father's side.  Little Manny has the most gorgeous green colored eyes and when he was a young adult he resembled Tom Cruz a lot.  Trish looks like a little doll in this photo to me.  She has red hair and beautiful chocolate brown colored eyes.

When we were growing up, Tudy, Manny, Trish and I were all close to one another and had some great times together.  I am still very close to Trish.  I don't see Manny very much but hear about him.

I love my cousins and will be seeing Trish soon.  Looking forward to it!

Most Common Names in the United States

Dang, I'm a Lucky Girl!

According to Ancestry dot com, Smith is the most common name in the United States.  If one has a Smith in the family, they can expect to sort through 81 million records on ancestry. 

I do have a Smith in the family.  My Mother was Rosie Mae Smith.  As a matter of fact, I have many Smiths in the family.  One could say that I have hit the jackpot on Smiths.  My Smiths were a very prolific bunch to top it all off.  One of their favorite pass times was making more Smiths.  Every time, I turn around, I'm running into a new Smith cousin.  Lucky for me, we have DNA to help us sort through the Smith woodpile now.
https://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/smith-a-short-history-of-americas-most-popular-surname/?o_xid=78115&o_lid=78115&o_sch=External+Paid+Media


Not too far behind the Smiths are the Johnsons.  According to the 2010 census records (reflected in the link below), the Smiths are at 2.4 million with the Johnsons at 1.9 million. 
 
Do I have a Johnson in the family?  Well, yes.  Yes, I do!  My Daddy was a Johnson.  Lawrence Gerald Johnson.  There are many, many Johnsons in my family tree.  There are about as many of them on ancestry to sort through as there are Smiths.  I'm lucky again to have DNA to help me sort through all the Johnsons.

I recently met a cousin with the surname of Jones on ancestry that is related to both sides of my family.  Smiths (Mother), and Johnsons (Father).  This ought to be interesting to find out if any of the Smiths married a Johnson to produce a Jones.  😅

Jones is running in fifth place on the 2010 census with Garcia close behind them.

I find it to be very interesting the way the most popular surnames are slowly changing in our country. 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1NIqMRAF_SEOWoyMDJ2ZlZiQXM/view

Thanks Mama and Daddy for giving me such a challenging genealogy to research.  Out of all of the people in the world with different surnames, a Smith and Johnson found one another and fell madly in love.  When I really think about it though, I think I would rather have the challenging ( and probably more interesting than many others) genealogy, than to not be here at all. 

Rosie Mae Smith, Baby Helen Jane Johnson, and Lawrence Gerald Johnson

Thanks Mama Smith and Daddy Johnson again, for meeting, falling madly in love with one another and producing a little Johnson-Smith creature! Me! 😊

Sissy Swallowed a Plum Seed

Almost Went Plum Crazy Before Almost Dying!

 

I know I have mentioned my grandparent's house of two rooms before and how much time my sister and I spent there.  Well, we were there once again along with our parents in the evening.  Grandma and Grandpa had a black and white Philco television set.  Since we didn't have one, we would watch television at Gandma and Grandpa's house.

Their television looked very much like the one in the photo above.

We were watching "Sing Along With Mitch".  It must have been summer time because Tudy and I were eating plums from Grandma and Grandpa's tree. 

Grandma was always warning us about not eating the center of any fruit seed.  She told us that it would make us go crazy and, or possibly kill us.  Well of course Grandma knew everything!  I didn't doubt for a minute that if I ever ate the center of a fruit seed, I would go crazy and die.

I was really enjoying my plum, and I was pretty much done with it but I was trying to get the last little bit off the seed.  Before I knew it, I had swallowed the entire plum seed! I jumped up and starting running in circles yelling and crying that I had just swallowed a plum seed.  My baby sister Tudy, was right behind me, yelling and crying, "Sissy swallowed a plum seed".  We were both running around in circles in the front room yelling and crying like a dog chasing its tail.

I just knew I was going to go crazy and then I was going to die!  Our Mom was trying to catch us and calm us down.  Our Dad was laughing, Grandpa was lying on his bed, all laid back as usual watching the commotion.  Finally, they got a hold of me and Grandma said I would be okay since the seed was whole and I didn't eat the poisoned part of it.  I was about seven and Tudy was about five.

Our parents called us Pete and Re-Pete because Tudy would do and say everything I did.

From left to right
Me, Tudy (my baby sister), Gerald Lee Clay, Roseann Clay, Rosie Mae Smith Johnson (My Mother) holding Monte Ray Clay and Stella Holland Smith (My Grandma)

This great adventure took place in the room pictured in the photo above where I am with my baby sister, my Mom, my Grandma, and some of my Clay cousins.  My sister and I were a little bit older in the photo above than we were when we had the "Plum Crazy Adventure".

It was always something and never a dull moment with all the kids around.  Good times!

Virgil Eagleton Johnson

Virgil was my Great Grandpa on my Daddy's side.  He was born in Walnut Grove, Greene County, Missouri in 1876.  There are rumors that he was a mean SOB.  Actually, I have evidence to support those rumors, but I am choosing not to publish it at this time.

I read a description of him as being lanky and loose jointed when he was seventeen years old. 

Another description of him was given when my Great Grandmother Lula Jump and her twin sister Lila Lee ran off and got married.  My second Great Grandpa Sylvester Jump went after them to bring them back home.  Apparently, Grandpa Sylvester got a hold of Lila Lee, but Lula's husband (Virgil Johnson) was a big man and refused to let her go.

Virgil Eagleton Johnson and one of his grandchildren

In the photo above, it is difficult to determine how big he was.  This is the only photo I have of him.  I'm sure there are others floating around.  If someone has any other photos of Virgil E Johnson, please contact me. 

I believe my Father may have been built up like his Grandpa Johnson.  My Father was the tallest out of all of his brothers and he was lanky and loose jointed.

Virgil couldn't have been all bad though.  When his daughter Amanda died, he raised his grandchildren.

More to come on good ole Great Grandpa Virgil Johnson at a later time....I can guarantee you that the Johnson stories are not dull!

Lucy Allen Smith

Lucy was the third child of Christopher Columbus Smith Sr. and his third wife Joanna (McGraw) Smith. 

Lucy was born with normal eyesight.  However, by the time she was five she had started to lose her eyesight. 

Florence Smith Yandell on the left and Lucy Allen Smith on the right

Lucy lived with her Mother, Joanna until her Mother's death in 1936.  After Joanna passed away, Lucy went to live with her sister Florence and her husband Oscar Yandell who lived on the Smith home place.

Lucy, like most other people who's sight was impaired, was highly developed in other ways.  She had a fantastic memory and it is said that she never forgot anything.

Lucy had Joe Cole write down the names of her Father's sister and three of his brothers.  She was hoping that someone would find them since she and her family had lost track of them after her Father, Dr. Smith passed away.  Their names were Jane, Bob, Dave, and Black.

Jane (Martha Jane) married Zedoc Stuchman.  Bob (Robert Larkin) married Margaret Ross first and Mary Chastian second.  Dave (David Elijah) was my Great Grandpa.  He married CJ Long first.  They did not have any children.  He than married my Great Grandma Margaret "Tinney" McGill.  They had seven children together.  Black (Charles B) married Sarah Fletcher.   They must have all visited Dr. Smith at his house  in Yell County, AR for Lucy to have remembered all of their names.

I would love to talk to anyone who remembers Lucy or any of the others mentioned here.

Christopher Columbus Smith

Christopher Columbus Smith was the first born child of Thomas H Smith and Agnes (Arnold) Smith.  He was born January 20, 1842 in Tennessee, and died in Yell County, Arkansas in 1898.

CC Smith was the oldest brother of my Great Grandfather, David Elijah Smith, and the Uncle of my Grandpa Fred Smith.

CC Smith packed a lot of living into the 56 years of his life.  He was married three times, served in the Civil War as a Confederate Soldier, and became a doctor.

He is listed on the Register of Physicians and Surgeons 1881-1896 certified to practice in Yell County, Arkansas.

He is buried in the Smith Family Cemetery near his farm in Yell County, Arkansas.

More to come about this amazing man who lived his life to the fullest!

Smith Family Cemetery, Yell County, Arkansas

Mama Rosie's Hot Potato Salad Recipe

My Mom made the best potato salad ever!  Since it was so delicious, I make mine the same way.  I 'm going to share her recipe with you but I don't have the exact measurements for anything.

Rosie's Hot Potato Salad

-Russet or Red potatoes, peeled and cubed (enough to fill a 2 quart sauce pan) add water and boil
-6 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped - you may save one for garnish if you wish
-chopped red onion or yellow onion to taste
-mayonnaise to taste (you may use light mayo)
-red or white vinegar to taste
-salt and pepper to taste

Once potatoes are cooked, (I like mine semi-firm) mix with chopped eggs, copped onion, mayo, salt, pepper, and vinegar.  I always add the vinegar last. 
You may use a potato masher if you want your potato pieces a little smaller, but don't mash too much.  You still want your salad chunky. 
You may want to garnish the top of the salad with one of the boiled eggs, sliced and sprinkle with a little paprika.

Serve salad hot.  Um-um Good!