Biography, Risner, Johnson, Rev. Magoffin County, Ky June 2003 Submitted by: Sharon Cornell kay2000@myexcel.com *********************************************************************** Risner, Johnson, Rev. Born July 10, 1856 Magoffin Co Ky This is a story told to me by Johnson Risner's granddaughter, and daughter of Lee and Polly Risner, in 1994. These stories were told to me by Pearl Risner Hopkins in 1994, about when Pearl, Julie and Willie lived with their grandparents Johnson and Susie Risner. My Grandpaw Johnson Risner was a preacher, who had a wondering eye for other women. There was one woman he was sparking. He would preach at church, and then after church he would go to see this other woman. One Sunday when Grandpaw was doing a baptism at the river, Jim Howard came and got Grandmaw "Susie" and took her to where Grandpaw was having the baptizing and told her, when I nod my head, you go over and shove her "Grandpaw's girlfriend" into the creek. Grandmaw waited for Jim's nod, and she pushed the woman into the big hole of water where people were being baptized, and Jim Howard sitting on his horse raised his pistol and said, don't nobody touch her. If anyone touches her, I'll shoot their legs out from under them. Grandpaw said but she can't swim. Jim Howard told him, well is she can't swim, she can crawl. That is just what the woman did. She crawled to the bank, and sit down and waited until the water dripped off her, and got up and went home. When Grandpaw got through with baptizing, he went to see his other woman, and she would not let him in. When Grandpaw got home he said Susie, I am mad at you over what you done, shoving her over in that creek and making her crawl through the water. Grandmaw said I don't care if you are mad about it. You have no business of being with her no way. Grandpaw said Susie If I didn't love you so good. Grandmaw said I don't see how you can love me so good, when you are sparking another woman. Pearl went on to say my Grandpaw was a Preacher all his life, and when he died he went to hell. My Grandpaw liked his Whiskey. He kept his Whiskey hidden under the truce of a apple tree. One Sunday Grandmaw watched him when he was getting ready to go to the Licking River to baptize some people. He went to the tree and took a big swig of his whiskey, and then put it back under the tree. After Grandpaw left, Grandmaw went and got the Whiskey and took it to the creek and poured it out, and then threw the bottle in the creek. Pearl said that her sister, brother and her were all raised by Johnson and Susie after her father and Nina moved to Ohio. She also said that Lee's brother Leslie's three children, came and lived with them also after their mother died. Pearl said she was the oldest and she had the work of taking care of all six of them. She said she had to carry water across a walk log from across the creek. Pearl said she went to sleep one night and dreamed she was carrying water over the creek. She took a bucket over there and dipped it full of water and got on the log and walked across the creek with the water. Grandmaw saw me and spoke to me, and woke me up. She said where have you been. I must have been walking in my sleep, and went and got the water. Grandmaw was a little bitty thing. She wore a size two shoe. When she was carrying her kids, she never got over a hundred pounds. She was a good person. One day she sent us kids up on a hill to get wood to cook dinner with. We went up on the hill and hollered for some of our friends to come where we were. We were bending down trees and sitting on them, and bouncing off them. We looked and here came Grandpaw. He was stiffed kneed in one leg. He was coming up at hill walking stiff legged. I said lets run Julie. We ran down and around the hill grabbing some wood as we ran, and ran to the house. Grandmaw took us and hid us from Grandpaw, behind the dresser. Grandpaw came in and said where are them confounded kids, I am going to kill them. Grandmaw said you will not find them, I don't care what you say or do. Grandpaw sat down and said tell them to come out I won't whip them. One day Grandpaw fell into a sink hole. If you fall in a sink hole, they will pull you down to the bottom.Anyway he fell in and no one could hear him holler for help. He prayed to God to send some boys along the road, so he could send them for help.. He looked up and here came two boys dancing and jumping along the road. He called to them to come to him. He told them to go get Susie and for her to get the horse. When Grandmaw came with the horse, she threw him the lines and pulled him out of the hole. Grandpaw thanked God that he had Grandmaw that day. Pearl died in Warsaw, Indiana in 1998 Sharon Cornell kay2000@myexcel.com. ************************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store thefile permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net **************************************************