Person:John Johnson (432)

According to Jody Dillard:

John J. Johnson 1864-1897 Husband of Belle Dillard

Obituary in Temple paper: April 4,1897

"Last Sunday night as Messrs. E. J. Stevens and J.J. Johnson, two young men of near Temple, were on their way home from a visit up the country. They attempted to cross the Cowhouse, at Union Bluff schoolhouse, which was on a rise from the day's rain. They drove into the stream and reached an island when the head of water poured down on them, cutting off all hope of going on; they then cut the horse out of the buggy and the horse swam ashore. The boys then took off their clothes and tied them around a willow tree that stood on the island and then Stevens swam ashore, leaving Johnson on the tree. He was unable to swim and kept climbing the sapling as the water rose higher and higher. Friends gathered on both banks of the stream, but no aid could reach him. Finally he told his friends that the water had reached his feet and that he was growing cold and numb. He then began praying for help and prayed without ceasing for an hour or more, then told his friends that the water had reached his waist and that he could not stay there long. At 11:20 he let go of his hold on the tree and life at the same time and was carried away with the flood. Not till Tuesday morning was the body recovered from a sand bar a mile and a half below the island. When found his skull was fractured and a long gash cut in his face, evidently from floating driftwood. The deceased had no relatives in this country, having come alone from Alabama some two or three years ago. His relatives were wired, but no response has come back. Although he was without blood relatives in this section he had a number of warm friends."

• There is some question here as to why there was no mention of a wife and two daughters. Had Belle died already? It is known that one of the two girls went to live with the Jerry C. Dillard family and one went to live with the John D. Dillard family.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Rootsweb chart of Jody Dillard: James C. Dillard Family wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi op GET db jody44.