Johnson, A. Frank

The following data is extracted from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans.

A. Frank Johnson. During his residence at Independence for thirty-five years A. Frank Johnson has made a most commendable and successful business record, and in many ways has found opportunity to serve the public welfare as a private citizen. For more than twenty years he has been in business as a stock buyer and meat dealer, and is also a bank director and the owner of considerable property.

A Pennsylvanian, he belongs to the branch of the Johnson family which settled in Pennsylvania in colonial days. His grandfather, Roan Johnson, spent his life in that state as a farmer. A. Frank Johnson was born at Strattonville, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, September 10, 1857. His father, Samuel Johnson, was born in the eastern part of the state April, 1818, and became one of the leading farmers and citizens of Clarion County, where he served as county treasurer and sheriff. He died on his farm near Strattonville in September, 1893. Politically he was a democrat, and was a deacon in the Baptist Church. Samuel Johnson married Miriam Owens, who was born in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, in 1816 and died there in 1904. Their children were: Andrew, who served as a soldier of the Union army during the Civil war, afterwards became a pioneer to the State of Minnesota, and died there, being drowned while crossing a river; John also was a Union soldier, was wounded, and died from his injuries shortly after the war in Clarion County; George, who was the third of these brothers to serve their country in the Civil war, is still living at Strattonville, Pennsylvania, a farmer; Martha died young; Curtis was a farmer and died in Clarion County at the age of fifty-eight; Emma is the wife of Edward Loomis, a hotel man at Pipestone, Minnesota; Dr. Samuel was a physician and surgeon in Clarion County, where he died; the eighth child is A. Frank; Rhoda died in childhood in Clarion County; Hayes died in infancy.

A. Frank Johnson spent his early life in his native county, where he attended the public schools. Starting out at the age of twenty-two to make a fortune for himself, he came in 1880 to Kansas and spent the first year clerking in a store at Liberty. Since 1881 his home has been in Independence, and he has been a witness of and a factor in the development of that city from the time it was a village. For nine years he was a clerk in the general store of Henry Baden, and was then connected with a book store for four years. In 1894 Mr. Johnson bought an interest in a meat market situated at 112 North Penn Avenue, and is now head of the firm of Johnson & Goodell. While he leaves the operation of the market itself to others, he employs the most of his time in the buying and selling of livestock. The firm owns the building in which their market is situated, and Mr. Johnson also owns a house at 212 South Eighth Street and his own home at 214 South Eighth. He is a director in the Independence State Bank.

Politically he is a democrat, is a trustee in the Methodist Episcopal Church, is past noble grand of Independence Lodge No. 69, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a member of the Rebekahs, and of Independence Lodgo No. 17, Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Homesteaders and the Commercial clubs.

Soon after coming to Kansas in 1881 at Liberty he married Miss Carrie Parker, a daughter of C. W. and Marinda Parker. Her father was a farmer and is now deceased, while her mother resides with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson at the age of eighty-six years. Into their household have come five children: Edward L., who died at the age of four years; A. Frank, Jr., a Presbyterian minister now located at Moran, Kansas; Charles T., a graduate of the Western Dental College of Kansas City, Missouri, and now located in Northern Kansas, where he has a successful practice; Edna, who died at the age of eleven months; and Samuel K., still in the family circle.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

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