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| Notes for Howard H. "Red" Johnston | ||||||||||||
| Howard H. Johnston was born on August 27, 1903, in Woodside, Minn. to Harvey Henry Johnston and Ivy Osborn Johnston. Though his name was Howard most people knew him as "Red" and nothing else. One humorous incident this point very well. One day his sister-in-law, Ida Johnston, told her daughter to call the Shanon Hotel where he had roomed for years and ask him if he would like to come to dinner. When the clerk at the Shannon answered the phone, Doris asked for Howard Johnston. The clerk had never heard of him, but they did have a Red Johnston. Needless to say "Red" had beautiful red hair. Red first came to Montana in 1926. He had two older half-brothers, Walt and DeLace Johnston living in the area. Red was one of the first, if not the first, gas meter reader in Glasgow. In the beginning Glasgow had two gas companies. It is not known which of the two companies Red worked for. During the early '40's Red was involved in custom combining. He would go to Texas and follow the harvest north with his equipment. In 1945 he bought a farm northwest of Opheim, the Neal Roger's place, and tried his hand at full time farming. It did not work out too well and in 1948 that adventure came to an end. He took up custom combining again in partnership with Ward Bishop of Opheim. One of the annual things Red did was to buy a new car, but he did not go to the local car lot. He made it an adventure. He would go back east direct to the factory and buy one. Then, on his way back, he would stop in Minnesota, pick up his sister, and they would spend the winters visiting relatives in Montana, Washington, and California. Red never married. He was a tall, handsome man with a good sense of humor and he took pleasure in playing cards with his many friends. He also had a talent for poetry which brought pleasure to those who knew him. One rather lengthy poem described a police raid on a gambling game so well that those who knew the people involved could tell who was who although no names were mentioned. He was a very generous and patient man who always seemed to be helping someone whether it be family or friend. The help often came in the form of money or time or the material necessities of life. On Oct. 2, 1964, after years of failing health he passed away and was buried in the Highland Cemetery in Glasgow. He still has two nieces, Elva "Buster" Wood and Doris Franzaen, and one nephew, Bud Johnston, in the Glasgow area. | ||||||||||||
| Misc. Notes | ||||||||||||
| I had found in my mothers letters where her cousin Doris Franzen had sent her the death certificates of William Walter, Clifford and Howard H. Johnston. It says that Walt was born on 9-22-1871 but no town in Minn. Just states he was born in Minn. It also has Eleanor's last name spelled Quenett. The dates on all of them are what we had before except for the death of Howard. I had from somewhere 7-17-1977 and he died on 10-2-1964 . | ||||||||||||
| Last Modified 28 Jul 2001 | Created 19 Mar 2010 by Reunion for Macintosh |