Selected Families and Individuals

Notes


Martha JOHNSON

Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of Monday, 30 June 1969):  CLAYTON---Mrs. Martha M. Johnson, 60, of 824 Rees St., died Saturday evening in Mercy Hospital, Watertown, where she had been a patient since April following a long illness.  She
underwent surgery in the hospital in February.

    The funeral will be Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Cummings Funeral Home and at 9 at St. Mary's Church.  Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery.

    Friends may call at the funeral home.

    Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Robert Heffernan, Clayton, with whom she lived; two brothers, John R. Johnson, Alexandria Bay and Joseph H. Johnson, Clayton; four sisters, Mrs. Anna White, Miss Vera Johnson, both of Clayton, Mrs. Kathleen
Minnich, Richland and Miss Alice Johnson, Syracuse and three grandchildren.

    Born April 9, 1909, on Grindstone Island, a daughter of John R. and Anna O'Toole Johnson, she attended school on Grindstone, at St. Mary's School, and Clayton High School.

    She was maried to William Ackerman in 1933 in Cambridge, Mass., where the couple lived until 1942 when Mr. Ackerman entered the armed service.  Mrs. Ackerman returned to Clayton and was employed at the Faichney Instrument Co., Watertown,
until Mr. Ackerman was discharged and the couple lived in Cambridge.

    Following Mr. Ackerman's death, she moved to Clayton and was married to Carleton W. Butts of Watertown May 26, 1949, in Yonkers.  The marriage ended in divorce Jan. 7, 1953, and she resumed her maiden name.  She worked as a domestic in the
Thousand Island region for years.


Carleton W. BUTTS

Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of 20 Feb. 1963):  Carleton W. Butts, 50, of 118 Gale St., car salesman for the State Street Body Works and a one-time Clayton funeral director, died at 8:15 this morning in the House of the Good Samaritan,
where he had been a patient since Feb. 9.

    His only survivors are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George E. Butts, 1209 Gill St.

    An autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death, which followed an operation for perforated ulcers of the stomach performed Thursday.

    He had been in ill health for years, having undergone a similar operation in the Mercy Hospital in 1952.  He became seriously ill again about two weeks ago and entered the hospital.  His health had been poor for the past four or five
years.

    Mr. Butts was born July 27, 1912, on the Butts farm, a mile from Clayton on the Clayton-Cape Vincent Road, and was the only child of George E. and Vera M. Martin Butts.  With his parents he moved to Watertown when he was four years old and
was educated in the local public schools, being graduated from the Watertown High School.

    Subsequently, he attended the Simmons School of Embalming in Syracuse, was graduated in 1934 and became a licensed embalmer and funeral director.

    For a time he was employed by the Howland Funeral Chapel of this city, headed by the late Elon Rae Howland, and then for two and a half years he was employed by the Walter B. Cooke Funeral Home in New York City.

   He returned to Clayton in 1936 and engaged in business for himself, leasing the Calumet Kendall home at 607 James St., which property he converted into a funeral home.  He was engaged in business in Clayton for about 12 years.

    Later, he became a partner of the late funeral director Walter P. Cummings, sr., in Clayton.  The partnership terminated in the summer of 1946.  Later, he lived in Clifton Springs and Utica.  For a time afterward he was employed at a New
York City funeral home.

    Returning to Watertown in 1950, Mr. Butts was employed as a car salesman for Goodrich Motors, Dembs Motors, Harlo Motors and, for the past four or five years, for the State Street Body Works.

    He married twice.  He married Miss Josephine H. Sanderson in Albany on May 20, 1935.  The marriage ended in an annulment Nov. 10, 1948, in Watertown.  He married Mrs. Martha Johnson Ackerman of Clayton on May 26, 1949, in Yonkers.  The
marriage ended in a divorce Jan. 7, 1953, in this city.

    There were no children of either marriage.

    Mr. Butts was a member of the Emmanuel Congregational Church, Watertown Aerie, 782, Fraternal Order of Eagles; Clayton Lodge, F. & A.M., and Clayton Lodge of Odd Fellows.


Martha JOHNSON

Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of Monday, 30 June 1969):  CLAYTON---Mrs. Martha M. Johnson, 60, of 824 Rees St., died Saturday evening in Mercy Hospital, Watertown, where she had been a patient since April following a long illness.  She
underwent surgery in the hospital in February.

    The funeral will be Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Cummings Funeral Home and at 9 at St. Mary's Church.  Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery.

    Friends may call at the funeral home.

    Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Robert Heffernan, Clayton, with whom she lived; two brothers, John R. Johnson, Alexandria Bay and Joseph H. Johnson, Clayton; four sisters, Mrs. Anna White, Miss Vera Johnson, both of Clayton, Mrs. Kathleen
Minnich, Richland and Miss Alice Johnson, Syracuse and three grandchildren.

    Born April 9, 1909, on Grindstone Island, a daughter of John R. and Anna O'Toole Johnson, she attended school on Grindstone, at St. Mary's School, and Clayton High School.

    She was maried to William Ackerman in 1933 in Cambridge, Mass., where the couple lived until 1942 when Mr. Ackerman entered the armed service.  Mrs. Ackerman returned to Clayton and was employed at the Faichney Instrument Co., Watertown,
until Mr. Ackerman was discharged and the couple lived in Cambridge.

    Following Mr. Ackerman's death, she moved to Clayton and was married to Carleton W. Butts of Watertown May 26, 1949, in Yonkers.  The marriage ended in divorce Jan. 7, 1953, and she resumed her maiden name.  She worked as a domestic in the
Thousand Island region for years.


John R. JOHNSON

1  CMNT Collected Violins And Played At Local Dances


Obituary:  CLAYTON---A prayer service for John R. Johnson, 76, a lifetime resident of this village and local police justice who died Saturday morning in the Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ont., will be held tomorrow morning at 9:30 at the
family home, 417 James St.

    The funeral will be at 10 in St. Mary's Catholic Church with Rev. George E. Racette, pastor, officiating.  Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery.

    Bearers will be Carl H. Frink, William Reddy, Robert N. Garnsey, John N. Amo, William F. Warner, and Robert H. Rogers.

    Surviving Mr. Johnson are his wife, Mrs. Anna O'Toole Johnson, five daughters, two sons, including John Johnson, jr., a member of the state police, a sister, and seven grandchildren.  A third son, William O'Toole Johnson, who was killed at
Okinawa in World War II, also had been a member of the state police before entering military police.

    In 1929, following 37 years as caretaker at the home of James Hewitt Morgan on Grindstone Island, Mr, Johnson operated his farm on the Clayton-Cape Vincent Road.  He sold the farm in 1936 and was then employed by the Frink Sno-Plow, Inc.,
until his retirement five years ago.

    For the past four years, he had been police justice of the village of Clayton.

    Mr. Johnson collected violins and as a young man had led an orchestra which played at dances and entertainments in the north country.


Anna O'TOOLE

1  CMNT "Gold Star Mother" Son Died In WWII.


Obituary (from newspaper of 10 Aug. 1964):  CLAYTON---Mrs. Anna A. Johnson, 78, widow of John R. Johnson, 417 James St., died at the family home this morning at 12:50.  She had been ill since May.

    The funeral will be Wednesday morning with a prayer service at 8:30 at the Cummings Funeral Home and at 9 in St. Mary's Church with Very Rev. Msgr. Dennis E. Lynch, pastor, officiating.  Burial will be in St. Mary's Church.

    Friends may call at the funeral home this evening from 7 to 9 and Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.     Surviving are two sons, John R., Alexandria Bay, and Joseph H., Clay; five daughters, Mrs. Anna A. White, Clayton, Miss Vera M.
Johnson, Mrs. Martha M. Johnson, Mrs. Kathleen M. Minnich, Richland, and Miss Alice R. Johnson, Syracuse; a sister, Mrs. Sarah Roach, and a brother, John O'Toole, Oswego; seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.  A son, William O.
was killed April 12, 1945, while serving with the army.

    Mrs. Johnson was born at Clayton, Jan. 12, 1886, daughter of Capt. William and Mary Manson O'Toole.  She attended local schools and was married to John R. Johnson.  The couple had always lived in the Clayton area.  Mr. Johnson died Oct. 1,
1955.

    She was a member of St. Mary's Church, the Ladies of St. Anne and was a gold star mother.


Vera JOHNSON

Obituary (from newspaper of Sunday, 5 Oct. 1986):  CLAYTON---Vera M. Johnson, 79, formerly of State St., died early Saturday morning at the United Helpers Nursing Home, Canton, where she had been a resident since 1982.

    The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Cummings Funeral Home and at 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Church.  Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery.

   Calling hours at the funeral home will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday.

    Donations may be made in her name to St. Mary's Church or the Clayton Volunteer Ambulance Fund.

    Miss Johnson's survivors include two sisters, Mrs. Kathleen M. Minnich, Pulaski, and Mrs. William (Alice) Linder, Syracuse, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

    Two brothers and two sisters died before her.

    Born Feb. 25, 1907, in Clayton, a daughter of John R. and Anna O'Toole Johnson, she was a graduate of Clayton High School and the Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, New York City, where she specialized in child care.

    She worked in Boston and Syracuse as a private duty nurse for several years before returning to Clayton.

    Miss Johnson was a communicant of St. Mary's Church and was a past member of the Clayton American Legion Post 821 Auxiliary.


Mary H. MANSON

1  CMNT Of Macomb, NY


Carleton W. BUTTS

Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of 20 Feb. 1963):  Carleton W. Butts, 50, of 118 Gale St., car salesman for the State Street Body Works and a one-time Clayton funeral director, died at 8:15 this morning in the House of the Good Samaritan,
where he had been a patient since Feb. 9.

    His only survivors are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George E. Butts, 1209 Gill St.

    An autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death, which followed an operation for perforated ulcers of the stomach performed Thursday.

    He had been in ill health for years, having undergone a similar operation in the Mercy Hospital in 1952.  He became seriously ill again about two weeks ago and entered the hospital.  His health had been poor for the past four or five
years.

    Mr. Butts was born July 27, 1912, on the Butts farm, a mile from Clayton on the Clayton-Cape Vincent Road, and was the only child of George E. and Vera M. Martin Butts.  With his parents he moved to Watertown when he was four years old and
was educated in the local public schools, being graduated from the Watertown High School.

    Subsequently, he attended the Simmons School of Embalming in Syracuse, was graduated in 1934 and became a licensed embalmer and funeral director.

    For a time he was employed by the Howland Funeral Chapel of this city, headed by the late Elon Rae Howland, and then for two and a half years he was employed by the Walter B. Cooke Funeral Home in New York City.

   He returned to Clayton in 1936 and engaged in business for himself, leasing the Calumet Kendall home at 607 James St., which property he converted into a funeral home.  He was engaged in business in Clayton for about 12 years.

    Later, he became a partner of the late funeral director Walter P. Cummings, sr., in Clayton.  The partnership terminated in the summer of 1946.  Later, he lived in Clifton Springs and Utica.  For a time afterward he was employed at a New
York City funeral home.

    Returning to Watertown in 1950, Mr. Butts was employed as a car salesman for Goodrich Motors, Dembs Motors, Harlo Motors and, for the past four or five years, for the State Street Body Works.

    He married twice.  He married Miss Josephine H. Sanderson in Albany on May 20, 1935.  The marriage ended in an annulment Nov. 10, 1948, in Watertown.  He married Mrs. Martha Johnson Ackerman of Clayton on May 26, 1949, in Yonkers.  The
marriage ended in a divorce Jan. 7, 1953, in this city.

    There were no children of either marriage.

    Mr. Butts was a member of the Emmanuel Congregational Church, Watertown Aerie, 782, Fraternal Order of Eagles; Clayton Lodge, F. & A.M., and Clayton Lodge of Odd Fellows.


George E. BUTTS

Obituary (from newspaper of 11 Jan. 1967.):  George E. Butts, 77, of 1209 Gill St., retired electrical contractor and one-time grocer, died in the Mercy Hospital at 12:15 this morning, 20 minutes after he was admitted.  Death was attributed to
a heart condition.

    A private funeral will be held Friday afternoon at 1:30 at the Reed & Benoit Funeral Home.  Rev. Graham R. Hodges, pastor of the Emmanuel Congregational Church, of which he was a member, will officiate.  Burial will be in North Watertown
Cemetery.

    Surviving him are his wife, Mrs. Vera M. Martin Butts; a sister, Mrs. Alfred L. (Rena E.) Bolton, 118 Gale St.; nieces and nephews.

    The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Butts was Carleton W. Butts of this city, a one-time Clayton funeral director who died here Feb. 20, 1963, at the age of 50.

    A brother, John M. Butts of this city, died Aug. 28, 1955 at the age of 53.

    Mr. Butts, who had been afflicted with a complication of ailments, including a heart condition and emphysema, had been a patient in the hospital a number of times.  He became critically ill Tuesday.

    He was born at Clayton Dec. 28, 1889, a son of McClellan C. and Cora Boodough Butts.  With his mother he moved to Watertown as a boy, his father having died, and he attended the Cooper and Watertown high schools.

    He married Miss Vera M. Martin of this city, a native of Sandy Creek, in Watertown July 25, 1911.

    For years in earlier life Mr. Butts was an electrical contractor and for a number of years, including the World War II period, he was employed by the Halley Electric company.

    Years ago he and his wife owned and operated a grocery store at 251 North Rutland St., now known as the Rutland Street Market.

   For about 12 years until 1960 he and Mrs. Butts operated a tourist business on Steele's Point, St. Lawrence River, near Clayton, where they maintained five cabins and four cottages for summer visitors.


Vera M. MARTIN

Obituary (from newspaper of 23 Jan. 1971):  The funeral for Mrs. Vera M. Martin Butts, 80, of 1209 Gill St., widow of George E. Butts, will be 2 p.m. Friday at Reed & Benoit Funeral Home with Rev. Graham R. Hodges, pastor of Emmanuel
Congregational Church, officiating.  Burial will be in North Watertown Cemetery.

    Mrs. Butts died Wednesday afternoon in Mercy Hospital where she was admitted Tuesday because of an arthritic condition.  She suffered coronary attacks in the hospital.

    Among her survivors are three nieces, Mrs. Harry (Harriet) Franklin, 511 W. Mullin St.; Mrs. Wilford D. (Ruth) Chapman, 230 N. Indiana Ave., and Mrs. Harry (Frances) Harris, Adams.  A brother, James H. Martin, Watertown, died April 13,
1969.

    Mrs. Butts was born June 19, 1890 in Sandy Creek, a daughter of Alva A. and Frances V. Northrup Martin.  When she was four years old the family moved to Watertown where she was educated.  When she was a young woman she was employed in the
O. B. Cadwell store.

    On July 25, 1911, she was married in the city to George Butts, a native of Clayton.  Mr. Butts, an electrician, and Mrs. Butts operated a grocery store known as the Rutland Street Market, for years.  For 12 years, prior to 1960, they
operated tourist cabins and cottages on Steele's Point, near Clayton.

    Mr. Butts, long retired, died in Mercy Hospital, Jan. 11, 1967, aged 77.  Their only child, Carleton W. Butts, one-time funeral director in Clayton, died Feb. 20, 1963, aged 50.

   Mrs. Butts had been a member of Emmanuel Congregational Church 70 years.


John R. JOHNSON Jr. Hon.

Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of 18 Dec. 1980):  ALEXANDRIA BAY---John R. Johnson Jr., 67, of 6 Avery Ave.. a Town of Alexandria councilman, retired New York State Police sergeant and former Town of Alexandria justice, died at 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday at the Edward John Noble Hospital shortly after being admitted.

    The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Cummings Funeral Home, Clayton, and 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, Clayton.  Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Clayton.

    Calling hours will be 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

    Donations may be made in his name to the Edward John Noble Hospital.

    He is survived by his wife, Margaret; a daughter, Mrs. Gabor (Judith) Boros, Nashua, N.H.; two sons, William J., San Ramon, Calif., and Robert B., Alexandria Bay; seven grandchildren; a brother, Joseph H., Clay; and three sisters, Miss
Vera Johnson, Alexandria Bay, Mrs. Kathleen Minnick, Richland, and Mrs. William (Alice) Linder, Syracuse.  Two sisters and a brother died before him.

    Born Aug. 7, 1913, on Grindstone Island, a son of John R. and Anna O'Toole Johnson, he was graduated from Clayton High School in 1931.  He had been active in high school athletics and was a member of a championship football team.

    He served three years as a member of Company A, 108th infantry, New York National Guard.

    He joined the New York State Police in June 1936 and was first assigned to Troop G in Troy.  He was stationed in Saratoga Springs when he married Miss Margaret L. Bramley of Jordan May 13, 1939, in Jordan.

    He became officer-in-charge of the Alexandria Bay State Police substation when it was established in 1946 and remained in that position until retiring with the rank of sergeant in 1964.

     He was elected a Town of Alexandria justice in 1967 and retired from that position in 1979.  He was elected a Town of Alexandria councilman


Joseph H. JOHNSON Lt. Col.

Obituary (from Watertown Daily Times of 17 Nov. 1990):  CLAYTON---Lt. Col. Joseph Johnson, 69, of Route 31, formerly of Clayton, died Thursday at St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse following a long illness.

    The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Sears-Middleton Funeral Home, North Syracuse, and at 11:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Cicero.  Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse.

    Calling hours will be 7 to 9 p.m. today and 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

    Surviving are his wife, the former Elaine Farrell, Clay; two daughters, Natali Wratter, Sequoit, and Faun Pitoniak, Pontac, Mich.; a son, Clark J., Danville, Calif.; a stepson, Darryl Mulcahy, Liverpool; two sisters, Kathleen Minnich,
Richland, and Alice Linder, Syracuse; seven grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

    He was born March 20, 1921, in Clayton, a son of John and Anna O'Toole Johnson.  He was graduated from local schools.

    He had a 38-year career with the Air Force, known as the Army Air Corps when he joined in 1937.

    He was a member of Sacred Heart Church and the American Legion in Clayton.