Johnson

Home

JOHNSON
GENEALOGY
LINE

The
JOHNSON
Family
Tree

Beulah
Vernesta Johnson
(1887 - 1959)

John
Henry
Johnson
(1865 - 1889)

Pinkney C.
Johnson
(1827 - 1865)

Robert
Johnson
(1778 - 1864)

_______
 

LINKS

History of
NC Counties

CARS

Catawba
Station
Township

Catawba
Elementary
& High School

Cemeteries

The
CIVIL
WAR

Additional
Family
SURNAMES

Genealogy
HUMOR

PHOTO
LINKS

Slavery

Twins

WHERE
TO
FIND 'EM
PAGE

________

FAMILY
NAMES

LOFTIN:
Beatty
Corzine
Cranford
Fisher
Givens
Harwell
Kaiser
Lomax
McCorkle
Rudisill
Sherrill
Upright
Work

SETZER:
Aderholdt
Barringer
Bovey
Bushart
Deal
Heavner
Herman
Ikert
Miller
Motz
Rankin
Witherspoon

GOBLE:
Babst/Bobst
Douglas
Faber
Fink
Fulbright
Hefner
Meinhert
Miller
Muller
Pabst/Bobst
Robinson

JOHNSON:
Corzine
Fink
Hamilton
Kaiser
Leslie
Lewis
Moore
Sherrill
Upright
Wilkinson

 

Beulah Vernesta Johnson   Born: 14 Jan 1887 Died:  23 Feb 1959     Beulah Vernesta Johnson was the first child born to John Henry Johnson and Nancy Caroline Leslie.  Vernesta "Nessie" was born 14 Jan 1887. Nessie only had one sibling, Henry Pinkney Johnson, born 12 Apr 1889.   A large portion of Nessie’s early life was filled with tragedy.  Her paternal grandfather, Pinkney C. Johnson, died in a Civil War Federal Hospital at Point of Rocks, VA on 3 April 1865 from wounds he had sustained.  When Nessie was a little girl, her father, John Henry Johnson, who was a lumber jack, was killed on 09 Jun 1889 when a tree fell on him.  Nessie was two years old at the time and her little brother, Henry Pinkney, was only two months old.  The family took the loss really hard, especially Nessie’s mother, Nancy Caroline Leslie Johnson.  Nancy Caroline and the children lived on the farm of her mother-in-law, Levina C. Sherrill Johnson.  (Levina Sherrill’s Great-Great Grandfather was Adam Sherrril, “the Pioneer” of Catawba County and founder of Sherrills Ford.)     (Right) Nessie holds a photo of her youngest son, Harlee Goble, with his wife, Alean                             Eventually, Nessie  fell in love with and married Charles R. A. Johnston, the son of John W. & Elisa Johnston.  Charlie was 35 at the time and Nessie had not yet turned 16.  Their marriage produced a daughter, Geneva May Johnston, on 02 Feb 1903. The romance didn’t last, however.  One day, Charlie just “left” and never returned.  According to Mary Helen Goble Sigmon, “the family believed that he had left town with another woman and was eventually killed.”                             After the loss of her husband, John Henry Johnson, Nessie’s mother, Nancy Caroline, became less concerned with living.  She even went so far as to attempt to take her own life on several occasions.  On 22 Sep 1905, when Nessie was 18 and Henry was 16, they heard screams coming from the area where the house was located.  Nessie & Henry had been in the fields picking cotton.  Henry was the first to reach his mother and saw her clothes in flames.  It was believed that she fired her clothes purposely.  The Doctor was called, but there was nothing he could do, and Nancy Caroline died.  Nessie’s daughter, May, was 2 ½ years old at the time.                               Nessie Johnson’s second daughter, Ethel Irene Johnson, was born on 04 Jul 1908.  There was family speculation that Ethel was actually a Waugh and not a Johnson, being born after Charlie had left Nessie.  Ethel always went by the name of Ethel Goble.   At the age of 21, Nessie was left alone and with two young daughters to support on her own.  Both of her parents were deceased and she had no one to turn to for help.  She took a job as a servant at the home of Jacob Hedrick Goble and lived with the Goble family who were living in Miller's Township of Alexander County, North Carolina.   1910 Alexander County Census   Last Name First Name Relation Sex Race Age Single/ Married Yrs Married Children Born Children Living Occupation Goble Jacob Head M W 49 M 23     Farm Laborer ------ Fanny Wife F W 50 M 23 5 3 Farm Laborer ------ Martin L. Son M W 20 S       Farm Laborer ------ Otis C. Son M W 15 S       Farm Laborer ------ Sarah C. Daughter F W 13 S       Farm Laborer Johnson Nessie Servant F W 21 M   0 0 None   According to the 1910 Alexander County, NC Census, Nessie was 21 and Martin Luther was 20.  May and Ethel were not living with Nessie at the time.   According to the 1910 Iredell County Census, Nessie’s daughter, May, age 7, was living with James C. Blankenship, age 45, and his wife, Eliza Jane Johnson, age 55, her Great Uncle and Great Aunt.  May’s Great-Grandmother, Lavina Sherrill Johnson, age 78, was also living with them, as well as another niece, Carrie E. Idson, age 17, and a mulatto nephew, Clide Kerrigan, age 23.   1910 Iredell County Census   Last Name First Name Relation Sex Race Age Single Married Birth Occupation 1 Occupation 2 Blankenship James C. Head M W 45 M NC Farmer General Farm ------ Jane Wife F W 55 M NC None   Idson Carrie E Niece F W 17 S NC Farm Laborer Home Farm Johnson Lavinia Mother-In-Law F W 78 Widow NC None   ------ Genevia M. Niece F W 7 S NC None   Kerrigan Clide Nephew M Mu 23 S NC Farm Laborer Working Out   While living at the Jacob Goble farm, Martin and Nessie became romantically involved and she became pregnant.    They were married on 25 Apr 1910 and their first child, Lewis Hubert Goble, was born on 23 Jul 1910.  Tragedy struck the young family and on 18 Jan 1911 Lewis Hubert died, just under 6 months old. He is buried at Sharon Lutheran Church in Iredell County, NC.   Nessie & Martin Goble                             Eventually, Nessie would become pregnant again and on 08 Apr 1912 James Henry Goble was born.                              Nessie had a total of 14 children.                             Name Birth Date Death Date Spouse Geneva May Johnson 02 Feb 1903   Paul Baldwin Ethel Irene Johnson/Goble 04 Jul 1908 20 Apr 1983 James Frank Sharpe Lewis Hubert Goble 23 Jul 1910 18 Jan 1911  (Died in Infancy) James Henry "Leggs" Goble 08 Apr 1912 16 Nov 1995 Nina M Eades Baby Boy Goble 09 Jan 1914 13 Apr 1914  (Died in Infancy) "Baby Girl" Goble 09 Jan 1915 18 Apr 1915   (Died in Infancy) Jay Corban Goble 29 Sep 1916 19 Jul 2005 Ada Eades Harlee Goble 06 Sep 1918 05 Nov 1980 Dovie Alean Helms Fannie Elizabeth Goble 10 Apr 1921 18 Sep 1998 Fred Franklin Isenhour Mary Helen Goble 07 Apr 1924   Floyd Eugene Sigmon Willie Aleen Goble 04 Dec 1925   Sam William Loftin Elgevia Goble 24 Nov 1928   William Clifton Eggers, Jr. Estelene Goble 24 Nov 1928 26 Mar 1929  (Died in Infancy) Doris Goble 31 Oct 1933 04 Aug 1934   (Died in Infancy)                               Martin and Nessie never owned a home.  The family were share-croppers.  They lived in a variety of houses in order to grow cotton crops.  The owner of the house and property received part of the revenue from the sale of the crops. They lived in homes in Alexander, Iredell and Catawba Counties.    (Left) Nessie with Fannie "Lib" and Mary Helen Goble (Right) Nessie with her brother Henry Pinkney Johnson                                                         1920 Alexander County Census                             Last Name First Name Relation Sex Race Age Single Married Attended School Can Read Can Write Birth Place Occupation Goble Martin L. Head M W 32 M No Yes Yes NC Farmer ------ Nessie B Wife F W 33 M No Yes Yes NC None ------ Ethel I. Daughter F W 10 S Yes Yes Yes NC None ------ James H Son M W 7 S Yes     NC None ------ J. C. Son M W 4 S No     NC None ------ Harlee Son M W 1 3/12 S No     NC None                             In 1920, Martin & Nessie were living in Miller's Township in Alexander County.  Her daughter, Ethel, was living with them and they had 3 sons, James Henry "Legs", Jay Corban "JC" and Harlee.                                                                                                                 1930 Iredell County Census                             Last Name First Name Relation Sex Race Age Married Single Age at 1st Marriage School in 1929 Read Write Goble Martin L. Head M W 44 M 22 No Yes ------ B. Nessie Wife F W 44 M 23 No Yes ------ James H. Son M W 17 S   No Yes ------ J.C. Son M W 13 S   Yes No ------ Harley Son M W 10 S   Yes Yes ------ F. Elizabeth Daughter F W 8 S   Yes   ------ M. Helen Daughter F W 6 S   Yes   ------ Willie A. Daughter F W 4 5/12 S   No   ------ Elgevia Daughter F W 1 4/12 S   No                               At the time of the 1930 Census, Martin’s age was listed as 44, Nessie 44, James H. 17, J.C. 13, Harlee 10, Elizabeth 8, M. Helen 6, Willie A. 4 5/12 and Elgevia 1 4/12 years old.  Martin’s occupation was listed as “Farmer”.                             In approximately 1934, Martin and Nessie moved the family to Catawba County and lived in the old Pump Alley house, a small 3-room-house.  The ages of the children were approximately as follows:  Legs 20, J.C. 16, Harlee 14, Lib 11, Helen 8, Willie 7 and Elgevia 4.                               (Left) Nessie with her youngest son, Harlee (Below) Nessie with granddaughter, Brenda Isenhour Willie Goble Loftin said, “Daddy didn’t get saved till we moved to Catawba County.  He got saved at a revival at Hudson Chapel Baptist Church.  Mama and Daddy were living in the Lowrance house on Lowrance Rd. at the time.  Mama would frequently go down to the barn to pray.  My Mama was a humble woman.”                                (Below) Nessie with 4 of her daughters, and a granddaughter    (Left to Right) Brenda Isenhour, Helen Sigmon, Willie Loftin, Nessie, Lib Isenhour, Elgevia Eggers     Willie added, “I caught lice from someone when we were attending Hudson Chapel, and I told Mama I was gonna quit church.  She told me, ‘I hope you won’t stop going to church and send your soul to hell for a little lice.’  I stayed in the church.”   Nessie entered the hospital in 1959 having problems with her kidneys.  She told Willie, “It’s my time.  You need to let me go.  You’re holding me back.”   On 23 Feb 1959, Nessie died from kidney failure.  Willie said, “Mama had dark brown hair.  I bet she didn’t have a dozen gray hairs in her head when she died at the age of 72.”                                 (Left) Nessie's Obituary in the Hickory Daily Record,  (Right) Nessie with Floyd Sigmon                                                           Nessie and Martin are buried in the Sharon Lutheran Church Cemetary on Sharon Church Rd. in Iredell County.                                                             If you have photos or additional information on Beulah Vernesta Johnson, please contact me. A special thanks to Willie Goble Loftin, Helen Goble Sigmon and Brenda Isenhour Schronce for the photos of Nessie and her family.