The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-01-07
MITCHELL COUPLE
MARRIED NEARLY
SEVENTY YEARS
Mr.. and Mrs. E. R.
johnson Hold the
Record.
FAMILY OF NINE TY
Census Reveals Many. Off
spring Husband Never
Inside Theatre.
FAMILY OF NINE TY

| With nearly three-quarters of
century OF married life to theil
credit, Mr.. and Mrs. e. r. johnson
Iof 1914 West Fourth avenue, car
undoubtedly hold claim to the recore
OF South Dakota, of having beer
married longer than any Other
couple in the state.
1 Their happy days of wedlock will
total seventy years on April 10, 1915
The Oldest of the seven children OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson is S. L.
johnson of this city, will be G9
wears of age on March II. this year
He resides at the home place with
his father and mother.
Ninety in Family.
! The couple has &c grandchildren
and 81 greatgrandchildre while
jail of the children and grandchil-
dren, great grandchildren, and
those added to the family by mar
riage will reach number greater
/ than ninety.
According to the last reports y
said Mr.. Johnson, "they are increas
ing all the time" When census
was taken of the family tree some
time ago, it was revealed to Mr.. and
Mrs. Johnson that they had six more
great grandchildren than they were
aware of.
Married in 1914.
When asked the date of their
marriage and their age Mr. Johnson
lid not rely upon his memory bus
took down the old faded and long
used family bible and turned to the
pages where the records had been
placed years ago. They were mar
ried in Essex county, New York,
April 10, 1914. They were both
born and reared in this county, Mr..
Johnson being born in 1924, and will
be 81 years old on February 5 next.
Mrs. Johnson was born January 23,
1926, and is nearing her eighty
ninth birthday.
The couple left New York in
1866 and went to Hartford, Wis,
travelling much of the way by stage
After staying there for some years
Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson went to Min
nesota, where they remained for
some time, then coming to South
Dakota, which was about 35 years
us,O. ihCy lafC DSSI III NlIlSlSiI
fifteen years.
Sen is War Veteran. !.
S. E.. Johnson, the Oldest of the
children served in thu Civil War
for almost three years with the First
cavalry of Wisconsin. He is now sec
retary of the local g. A. r. organiza-
tion, and proudly boasts of being
about the only one of the old SOL
diers who still has his parents. His
father did not serve in the army,
but was employed by the govern
ment in the naval yards as a car
penter, this being the trade that he
has followed since he was 1S years
old, until four years ago, when he
retired from work.
When asked question concerning
the trend of the times of the pres
ent and the early days, both Mr..
and Mrs. Johnson stated that the
modern luXuries and the difference
in the customs had not bettered the
happiness of the people. "The young
people, as we'll as the older ones,
were just as happy in those days as
they are today" said Mrs. Johnson.
In making statements in regard to
the high cost of living of the pres
ent time, Mr.. Johnson attributed
the present conditions to theaters
and the luxuries the people of today
indulge in SO much.
:. High Cost of Living.
eve never knew what it was to
be hard up in those days, "said
Mrs. Johnson. ''and we paid as high
as SIG for barrel of -four, $40 for
a barrel of pork and 81 for a pound
t of tea, and we always had plenty of
everything to eat"
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson are in
very good health, and they are both
regular in their attendance to
churcn, when the weather permits.
land always go to Sunday school
when l can,'' said Mrs. Johnson.
Mr.. Johnson declares that he has
has never been inside of theater
or a picture show.
OF the seven children OF the
couple. five are still living. They are
S. Z. Johnson of Mitchell, Mrs.
Mark Harris, col West Third ave-
nue., of Mitchell, C. r. Johnson, of
White Bluffs, Wash, Mrs. Nancy
Taylor, of Enid, Okla, and Frank
Johnson, of Washington Springs, s.
ID. The old couple still enjoy amuse-
ments, and like to have the young
ipeople about them. During the Christ
mas times they gave big Christmas
! tree celebration at their home for
ithe children of the entire neighbor-
| hood.
and 1914. more than 55s million pas