Peter Johnston Family

Peter Johnston was born in the Lowlands of Scotland, February 8, 1803. He came of a long line of Johnstons of which the eldest male child was always given the name Peter.

He became a bank cashier in Scotland and married a Miss Liddle. Both families were strict Presbyterians.

While living in Scotland, two children were born, Peter, Jr. and Agnes.

In 1848 with his wife and family, he embarked from Liverpool, England, for America. They landed at Montreal, Canada. Arriving in the United States, Peter Johnston bought 80 acres of land in Washington Township, Henry County, Ohio, on September 1, 1848, and paid $750.00 for the 80 acres. This land remained in the family and was one of the Henry County Centennial farms, but was sold in 1971.

Peter became a naturalized citizen in 1885.

The Johnstons, though possessed of more than average means, lived in a simple log cabin until the land was cleared and a frame house could be built. Peter died January 24, 1895. His wife had died several years before and no record is known of her birth or death dates. Both were buried together with an infant granddaughter, Martha, on the family farm.

Their daughter, Agnes, married Edward O'Hearn. Her son, Edward, Jr., married Mary A. Donovan, moved to California and their descendants live there.

[Photo, p. 275] The Peter Johnston Family

Their son, Peter Johnston, Jr. was born April 13, 1842, and grew up in Henry County and later became the owner of the family farm. He enlisted at Toledo in Company H, 68th Ohio Volunteers Infantry and served three years and three months during the Civil War. The 68th Infantry commenced to rendezvous at Camp Latta, Napoleon, Ohio, on November 21, 1861. This is now the site of a Napoleon cemetery. On January 5, 1862, the regiment moved to Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, where it remained until February 7, 1862, when it moved to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, arriving there on February 14. During his term of service, he was in every rebel state but Florida and Texas; they marched 7000 miles and traveled by steamboat and railroad for 6000 miles.

Peter, Jr. married Mary Heller. She was born in Tuscarawas County, March 8, 1847. She came to Providence Township, Lucas County, while quite young with her parents, Emanuel and Mary Demuth Heller. Mary Heller Johnston died May 14, 1901. Peter Johnston, Jr. died August 7, 1912. They are buried with an infant son, Charles, in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Peter Emanuel Johnston married Phoebe Koch and lived on a farm in Henry County until they retired to Liberty Center. They had four children: Peter Dewey, Florence Leona, Lura Helen and Edna Effie. Peter married Helen Morrison and had one son, Peter Julian who married Frances Hogrefe and had Linda Sue and Peter Douglas. Florence married Clare Mowery and had no children. Lura Helen married Julian Travis and had Judith and Bryce. Judith married Dale Leininger and had six children. Bryce married Judy Showman and had two children. Edna Johnston married R. D. Rigal, and had R. Daniel, Colleen Louise, Rosanne Marie, and Joanne. Edna Rigal is the librarian at the Liberty Center Public Library.

James Johnston was born in 1868 and married Minnie Inskeep. There were no children. James was a veterinarian at Piqua until his death in 1924.

Catherine Belle Johnston married George Gerdes in 1892 at Napoleon and lived on a farm in Damascus Township. They had two sons.

Charles Forrest Gerdes was born in 1895, never married, and in 1960 lived on the farm in Damascus Township. Peter Gerdes born in 1897 married Dena Marie Good in 1918. Three children were born to them. Peter died in 1952 and Dena in 1950. Their child, Thelma, born in 1919, married Charles -Slamka and had Charles, Douglas, Gregory, Matthew, Dennis, Amy Jo, Mark Stephen, and Gery Joseph. Their son Harold Gerdes born in 1921 married Wilma Altwies. Jean Marie was born to them in 1944. Harold died in 1944; and his daughter Jean married Robert Armitage in 1964 and has Brian and Dawn. Peter and Dena Gerdes third child, Kenneth was born in 1924 and married Esther Wade in 1943. Kenneth and Esther had four children: William; Patricia married James Ford and had daughter, Melissa; Donald George born 1951 married Judith Yevtich in 1968 and had Christopher in 1969 and Danielle Johanna in 1974; and Beverly was born in 1954.

Mary Agnes Johnston married John Myles in 1902 and lived in Henry County until 1919 when they moved to Toledo. John died in 1947 and Mary Agnes in 1961. They had four children: Mary Alta, Rollo Angus, Esther May, and Chester Ray. Mary Alta never married. Rollo married Helen Harrison in 1928 and divorced in 1931. He then married Pauline Straack in 1931 and had Lawrence, Walter, and LaDonna. Rollo died in 1945. Lawrence married Hazel Cain in 1951. Their four children: David, Deane, Dennis and Dwight were killed in a car-train accident in 1971. Walter married Bertha Sandwisch in 1959 and Rebecca and Walter were born to them. LaDonna married Melvin Meek in 1953 and had three children: Tonda Lea, Terry Lynn, and Trina LeAnn. LaDonna died in 1964 after being hit by a hit-skip driver.

Esther married Fred Mierke in 1942 and had no children. Chester married Grace Montague in 1933 and had Margaret, Chester, and Vernon. Margaret married Robert Hodge in 1957 and had Brian, Pamela and Scott. Chester, Jr. married Cheryl Kuhnie in 1966. Their children were Bradley and Lori Kaye.

Vernon Myles married Rebecca Christensen in 1972.

Ranatus Emory Johnston married Gertrude Kigar in 1882. Their son, Laird E. was born in 1906. Gertrude died in 1908. Ranatus married his second wife, Jennie E. Gallagher and had no children. Ranatus Emory was a farmer in Henry County. He died in 1962 and his second wife died in 1974. Laird Johnston married Mabel Jeffers in 1927. They had two children: Beverly, and Laird Edward born in 1937. He married Susan Ladd in 1959 and had four sons: Scott, Christopher, Kent and Grant.

Submitted by Marie Lawrence