Johnson - Urs Boxler Photography

Johnson
Potsdam, and Dannemora prison.
His last stone cutting job was in Watertown when the garage on the Taylor estate was renovated to
house the First Methodist church.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson came to this city from Potsdam in 1928 and Mr. Johnson was employed at
various odd jobs, including carpentry, until illness compelled him to stop work.
More About RILEY LEE JOHNSON:
Baptism: May have been baptized "Rhyla"
Burial: April 03, 1955, Evergreen Cemetery [in Miller plot], Canton, NY, USA 130
Census: 1905, Canton p 27: Wriley Johnson 29 stone cutter, Unice 26, Carroll 5, Vera 4, Olive 2,
unnamed son 2 mo.
Occupation: Stone cutter (worked on Trinity Church in Potsdam, bridge over Racket River; made
gravestone for Bertha Babbitt Green)
Notes for EUNICE MILLER:
The following is family tradition:
After William Miller's death, the farm went to his son Frank. Alzina and Eunice were very poor,
perhaps even burning boards from the barn walls for heat. Eunice only had 3 years of education.
They treasured a small end-table that they purchased using money earned by selling wild berries. To
earn money, they also took in boarders; one of the boarders was Riley Johnson.
Riley travelled a lot to find work as a tradesman. Once when Riley was away, Eunice packed up her 8
children and walked the 10 miles from Hannawa Falls to Canton.
Eunice ws an enthusiastic reader and lliked crossword puzzles. One of her favorite authors was
Marietta Holly. She knit and sewed without using patterns.
-----
Obituary 1962, Watertown newspaper
Widow of Riley Johnson Dies
Mrs. Eunice Miller Johnson 83 of Smithville, widow of Riley L. Johnson and former city resident, died at
6:50 p.m. Wednesday at Mercy hospital after being admitted at 1:25 p.m. She had been in failing
health for some time.
The funeral will be ... with the pastor of the Stone Street Presbyerian church officiating. A commital
service will be conducted at Evergreen cemetery Canton by ... pastor of the Canton Presbyterian
church. The bearers will be her six sons.
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. James (Vera) Babcock, Watertown, and Mrs. Howard (Olive)
Hinman, Parishville; six sons, all of whom have been in the painting business in the past 35 years;
Glenn C., Rochester; Cyril C., Dexter; Everett R., Cecil V. and Keith I., all of Watertown; Roger I.,
Adams Center, R.D.1; 22 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. A daughter died in infancy.
Mrs. Johnson was born April 22, 1879, in Canton, daughter of William and Alzina Empey Miller. She
attended Canton rural schools. On Aug 18, 1898, she was married to Riley Lee Johnson, a native of
Hermon, in the Canton Methodist church parsonage by Rev. Charles Sheard.
The couple lived in St. Lawrence county communities ...[repeated from Riley's obit] First Methodist
church. He died April 1, 1955 after a long illness.
Since her husband's death, Mrs. Johnson had lived with her youngest son, Roger, now a school
teacher, in Watertown and Smithville. A Presbyterian, Mrs. Johnson had taught Sunday school in
Hannawa Falls for years.
Register Report of Various Families Coffee: 48