Iroquois County Obituary for John O.Johnson, The Danforth Herald - February 16, 1901 (Johann Otten Janssen) INSTANTLY KILLED A Prominent Danforth Citizen Stricken Saturday. JOHN O. JOHNSON IS DEAD. Run Down by a Limited Train He Meets Death Suddenly. The Funeral from the Church Tuesday. The startling news that John O. Johnson had been suddenly killed by an Illinois Central limited train at the Main street crossing in this place, Saturday morning came as a shock to our people. It was so sudden, so unexpected. Mr. Johnson left his home between nine and ten o’clock and started to go over to John Eden’s store to do some trading. On his left arm he carried a basket of eggs and in his right hand he carried a cane, He seemed to be in his usual good health and spirits and on two or three occasions he stopped to chat pleasantly with friends for a moment or two. It was a beautiful morning and Mr. Johnson seemed to enjoy it. After leaving some friends in front of the bank he was seen to make his way towards Eden’s store, but in order to reach that point he was compelled to cross the railroad tracks. As he neared the crossing Frank Rice, who works for J. C. Koehn, heard the approach of the northbound limited, which was considerably late, and realizing Mr. Johnson’s danger started towards him in a run, whistling at him as he did so to attract his attention. Mr. Johnson did not hear him, but plodded along through the snow, nearing his destination, unconscious of the awful fate which was so soon to overtake him. He looked up, saw the approaching train and quickened his pace in order to get safely over. On came the thundering train; on went the little bent old man, and as he stepped his right foot over the west rail of the north-bound track the engine struck him - let us draw the curtain here and leave to imagination the harrowing, sickening scene, the thought, the all, that must have been crowded into that one brief second. The train was running at a speed of about 45 miles per hour and Mr. Johnson was picked up bodily and laid on the west side of the pilot between the pilot brace and the flagstaff, with his head resting upon the piston rod guides in front of the cylinder. The train was brought to a stop, backed down to the depot and the remains taken into the freight room on a stretcher. Both arms and one leg were broken and the left side of the head was badly mashed. The coroner was summoned; a jury empaneled and the following verdict rendered: We the undersigned jurors, sworn to inquire into the death of John O. Johnson on oath do find that he came to his death by being struck by the engine hauling train No. 4 on the Illinois Central railroad on the morning of February 9, 1901, at about 10 o’clock in the village of Danforth, Iroquois county, Illinois. We further find that the said train was running at a rate of speed not authorized by the ordinances of said village; and that the engine men were negligent and did not use the proper signals - the whistle and the bell. We recommend that the village board take the necessary steps to enforce the ordinance regulating the speed of trains through said village. Jos. A. Bush, Foreman ----- John O. Johnson was born in Moordorf, Amt Aurich, Ostfriesland, Germany, April 25th, 1823, and was at the time of his death 77 years, 9 months and 14 days old. He grew to manhood in the Fatherland, and on September 21, 1850, in the little town of Victorburg, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Kuhlman. In 1857 the little family migrated to the United States settling first in Woodford county, Illinois. A few years later the family moved to Fairbury and then to Iroquois county, settling on a farm near Danforth, where a home was made until 1886, when Mr. Johnson left the farm and moved into the village. To Mr. And Mrs. Johnson were born seven children, five of whom, Otto, M.J., Mrs. Fred Kohl and Mrs. John Eden, all of Danforth, and Mrs. Nelson Pederson, of Humphrey, Nebraska, together with the heart-broken wife and mother still survive him. In life Mr. Johnson was a careful, painstaking and economical. His habits of honesty and frugality formed during his youth in the old country stood him well in hand here, and at the time of his death he was a man possessed of considerable property. ----- John O. Johnson was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran St. John’s church, and from that place the funeral was conducted Tuesday afternoon at one o’clock. Rev Stachling delivered the discourse of the hour and spoke from the Scripture found in Hebrews,9:27-28: And so it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this judgment. Christ once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Rev. Staebling delivered an eloquent discourse, filled with words of tenderness and hope and consolation to the bereaved relatives. He was followed by the Rev. Geo. Mack, of Cullom, who addressed the congregation in English from the text: The harvest is past; the summer is ended, and we are not saved. His address was an admonition to the living rather than an oration over the dead. It was replete with bright thought and was listened to with deep interest. The burial was at the Danforth cemetery, and the hundreds of neighbors and friends who followed the remains to their last resting place in the quaint country churchyard is the strongest testimonial to John O. Johnson’s true worth as a man, a citizen and a friend. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: John Franks 8802 Grape Cove Austin, TX 78717 This was my GGGrandfather ___________________________________________________________ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ____________________________________________________________