The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1913-06-20

ham, the daughter of Ezekiel and
Nancy (Rodgers) Johnson, was
born in Bath, NH, Jan. 10, 1925.
The Johnson family is of English
descent, the first ancestor who
came to this country being Will
liam Johnson of Kent, England,
who came over in 1929, and settled
in Charlestown, Mass, he being
one of the municipal officers of
the place. His sons settled in New
bury in 1900, her grandfather, Capt
Haynes Johnson, moving to Brad
ford in 1898. He located on the
river farm, a portion of which is
now owned by Deacon A F. john
son, and another portion as the
summer home of F. V. Johnson,
Esq, of New York. Her father,
Capt. Ezekiel It. Johnson, was the
oldest of ten children, the major
ity of whom lived at one time or
another on the farms in the nor
thern part of the town. Captain
Ezekiel Johnson was an active
member of the Methodist church,
which has a memorial WindoW
dedicated to the parents placed
there by Mrs. Farnham and her
brothers.
She came to Bradford with her
parents when a small girl, and
this town has been home" to her
during the long years since. She
was educated at the old Bradford
Academy and at the Newbury
Seminary, her roommate being
Mrs. K. X. Wilson, then Miss Luz
thera Carleton. December rs, 1549,
she was married to Roswell Farm
ham at st. Adams, Vt. They re-
turned here to teach in the Brad
ford Academy, Mr.. Farnham being
the principal and Mrs. Farnham
the teacher of painting and French.
The next important episode in
her life came through the War.
Her husband having gone to the
front and being Lieut.-Colonel of
the 18th Vermont, Mrs. Farnhdm
followed to share his life. In the
winter of 1S62-63, she spent three
months in camp with her husband,
sleeping under canvas near Fair
fax Court House and Wolf Run
Shoals, Va. She enjoyed the ex-
citement Of camp life, which was
not altogether free from danger;
and found that her health, which
had been somewhat delicate, had
improved by the exposure, fresh
air and horseback riding. Her
stories of those three eventful
months of the war, which she saw,
were a source of entertainment
and instruction not alone to her
own children but to the young
people of the town, whom she |
loved to have around her after
her own children were grown up
l,;I -
She was never at a loss when the |
young folk were about as she re-
tained to the end her interest in |
the things of the day and in the
coming generation. A picture, |
which was taken with Colonel and |
Mrs. Farnham on horseback with |
the officers of the 18th Vt. has |
been found and enlarged. 1t is
an interesting memento of the |
times.
Mrs. Farnham was identified |
with the Relief Corps of this
town, her last appearance in pub
lie being to attend the Memorial
Day exercises at the Fall. The or
ganization attended the funeral as
a body.
She was always an able help
meet of her husband and when he
became the governor of the state
in 1850, she took her place at his
side as first lady of the State
and made for the social success of
his administration. She attended
the governors receptions each ses-
sion until 1910. At the session of
1905 she presented the State with
an oil painting of her husband,
which was hung in the executive
chamber.
Mr.. and Mrs. Farnham united
with the Cong1 church on the same
Sunday early in 1854, and both held
the church one of their dearest
claims. Mr.. Farnham held many
church offices and was a teacher
in the Sunday school until his
death in January, 1908. Mrs. Farm
ham was interested in every
phase of church activity, serving
for years as the chairman of the
music committee. She was active
in the missionary efforts of the
church. After her husbands
death, she spent six months at
the CASTLE IN. " Sanitarium.
While there she became ac1uaint-
ed with a returned missionary
from China, who was helping sup
port two orphan girls. Mrs. Farm