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Emma May Engelking Johnson

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Birth	:	11 Mar 1866 Will County, Illinois, USA
Death	:	8 May 1953 Oroville, Okanogan County, Washington, USA
Burial	:	Oroville Riverview Cemetery, Oroville, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate	:	48.9202700, -119.4458500
Description	:	Born at Washington Township, Will County, Illinois. ================================= Emma May Johnson Pioneer Laid To Rest Mrs. Emma May Johnson, one of the few remaining pioneers who came west in covered wagons to seek their home in the Okanogan country, was laid to rest in Riverview Cemetery Sunday, May 10, beside her husband, Rand C. Johnson who preceded her in death in 1943. Services were held from the Barnes chapel in Oroville. Emma May Engelking was born on March 11, 1866 at Chicago, Illinois. She was married to Mr. Johnson in 1885(1). ... Read More	Born at Washington Township, Will County, Illinois. ================================= Emma May Johnson Pioneer Laid To Rest Mrs. Emma May Johnson, one of the few remaining pioneers who came west in covered wagons to seek their home in the Okanogan country, was laid to rest in Riverview Cemetery Sunday, May 10, beside her husband, Rand C. Johnson who preceded her in death in 1943. Services were held from the Barnes chapel in Oroville. Emma May Engelking was born on March 11, 1866 at Chicago, Illinois. She was married to Mr. Johnson in 1885(1). She suffered a stroke ten days ago and passed away at St. Martin's hospital on May 8, 1953. She was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist church. Following their marriage in 1885(1), Mr. and Mrs. Johnson made their home in Minnesota and three children were born to them, Florence, Luella, and Sidney. The call of the far places was strong, however, and in 1890 the Johnson family piled their belongings in a covered wagon and, accompanied by Mr. Johnson's parents, both over 80 years of age(2), in another wagon, started the long, slow journey west. After many miles and many adventures they arrived in the Milk River Valley in Montana and started a new home. Dissatisfied after a time the old folks made the return drive to their old home in Minnesota, while the young family resumed their migration to the west, over the Oregon Trail through Grant's Pass, stopping now and then to look over a likely spot for a home; until they finally arrived at Lakeview, near the Oregon-California border, where they settled down again and Mr. Johnson operated a general store and stage depot where the passengers could rest a while and fresh horses hitched up to the stage coach. Still looking for the ideal, they up-rooted again and moved to Walla Walla where the two girls, young women now, entered college. In Walla Walla, Mr. Johnson became the owner of a portable magic lantern outfit and around it as the main attraction he built a traveling show consisting of pictures, jokes, songs, which they took from town to town and were enthusiastically received by the frontier people. Mrs. Johnson and Sidney accompanied him on these tours and had parts on the program, and occasionally the girls lent their talent to the show. Their travels took them north into Washington and while showing in Chelan and Lakeside, they heard of the Okanogan country and came on up to investigate. Mines were booming in the Palmer Mountain cliffs and ravines. Golden was still a town, and Wannacut Lake looked like the end of the rainbow. As soon as arrangements could be made in Walla Walla, they came back and homesteaded on a beautiful place at the south end of Wannacut Lake in 1903. For many years Mr. Johnson drove a stage and mail route between Oroville and the Wannacut post office, besides ranching. One year Mrs. Johnson ran a fruit and vegetable store in Molson, while Mr. Johnson brought and hauled produce from Oroville to the store, and Thomas Sapp made trips with wagonloads of fruit, melons and vegetables over the Molson and Chesaw country where nothing like that was grown. The life history of Mrs. Johnson is necessarily the history of the Johnson family, because like the true pioneer wife she was, she shared in every venture, many times taking a man's part, yet never neglecting for a minute her duty to her home and children. She lived to see the mining activity collapse, the promoters, prospectors and miners move to other lands, the town of Golden abandoned and the dozens of prosperous little ranches which once blanketed the Wannacut Lake district dry up and become unproductive. Even their own, and one by one the families moved down off the mountains into the valley and the whole mountain area became but a great cattle ranch. Her last years were spent in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Frank Buckingham of Oroville. The son, Dr. Sidney Johnson of Louisville, Kentucky, and the other daughter, Mrs. C. B. Jaynes of New Florence, Missouri, two brothers and one sister of Northome, Minn., one brother near Seattle, six grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren, are the surviving relatives. Maybe the Wannacut and Palmer Mountain country will never be anything but a great range for cattle; or, maybe some day Wannacut Lake will become one of the world's great health resorts on account of its mineral value; but either way, the memory of those who once lived there will never fade, and Emma Johnson is one of those to be remembered. Footnotes: 1 They were married on 12 December 1883 at Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota. 2 Mr. Johnson's parents were not 80 years old at the time of the journey west. His father, Jens Hansen, was born in 1821. R. C. Johnson's mother, Carrie Hansen, was born in 1816. They would have been about 68 and 74, respectively at the time of the journey west. This obituary is from the Oroville Gazette Newspaper, Oroville, Washington.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Emma May Engelking Johnson's memorial?
Emma May Engelking Johnson's memorial is located at: Oroville Riverview Cemetery, Oroville, Okanogan County, USA.
When did Emma May Engelking Johnson death?
Emma May Engelking Johnson death on 8 May 1953 in Oroville, Okanogan County, Washington, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Emma May Engelking Johnson's memorial?
Latitude: 48.9202700
Longitude: -119.4458500

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Christian Jensen “Rand” Johnson

(1857 - 1943)

Siblings

Henry George Engelking Sr.

(1869 - 1935)

Martin Carl Engelking

(1877 - 1926)

Children

Florence Clara Johnson Buckingham

(1885 - 1970)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Oroville Riverview Cemetery
Oroville, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9202700, -119.4458500

2. Old Riverview Cemetery
Oroville, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9177800, -119.4466700

3. Old Oroville Cemetery
Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.8913360, -119.4456230

4. Golden Cemetery
Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9014015, -119.5203018

5. Mountain View Memorial Cemetery
Ellisforde, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.8328300, -119.4011300

6. Ellisforde Mission Cemetery
Ellisforde, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.7908300, -119.3972300

7. Mountain View Cemetery
Loomis, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.8152700, -119.6100100

8. Osoyoos Lakeview Cemetery
Osoyoos, Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0638600, -119.5185500

9. Little Chopaka Cemetery
Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.8272200, -119.6430600

10. Molson Cemetery
Molson, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9657000, -119.2105000

11. Sidley-Lawless Cemetery
Sidley, Kootenay Boundary Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0153330, -119.2234330

12. Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
Havillah, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.8305500, -119.2033500

13. Kipling Cemetery
Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9080500, -119.1652900

14. Tonasket Cemetery
Tonasket, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.7284400, -119.4328200

15. Valley Congregational Church Memorial Rose Garden
Oliver, Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1169070, -119.5575920

16. Bridesville Cemetery
Bridesville, Kootenay Boundary Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0370800, -119.1372300

17. Chesaw Cemetery
Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9299900, -119.0541800

18. Oliver Cemetery
Oliver, Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1767600, -119.5697000

19. Fairview Cemetery
Fairview, Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1742600, -119.5998800

20. Thorp Cemetery
Chesaw, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9549900, -119.0316700

21. Anglin Cemetery
Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.6627700, -119.2783400

22. Phillip Raux Gravesite
Riverside, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.6271800, -119.3308500

23. Wauconda Cemetery
Wauconda, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.7408300, -119.0597300

24. Pine Creek Cemetery
Tonasket, Okanogan County, USA
Coordinate: 48.6330560, -119.6502780