Samuel H. Johnson

The surname "Johnson" in English means: "son of John (gift of God)".....the name in Hebrew means : "Yohanan -(Jehovah as favoured)." The surname Johnson is approximately 59%English, 16% Scottish, 16% Swedish and 9%Danish.

Samuel "Sammie H" Johnson was born in Kentucky. He was married to Jenny Rena Penney (mother of Maggie Rena Johnson Gillis), my great-grandmother. We've had a hard time learning much about Sammie and Jenny Rena, since they both apparently were dead at young ages. In the book, "Pioneers and Patriots" written by Anderson county historian Luther Davenport, it states that Sammy was born in 1848 in Anderson County Ky, a son of William Johnson and Narcissa Strange. He appears on the 1870 federal census of Anderson Co. as a 22 year old man living with his parents. He was too young for Civil War service, but after the war had ended, Kentucky was still a very dangerous place and it was necessary to maintain a military presence in the local area and a militia was enrolled and active between 1865-1869. According to the Anderson Co Clerk's office, Samuel Johnson was listed as a member of this militia.

in US 1870 census, it shows Sammie with siblings, Jeremiah, 25, William B, 24, Sammie 22, Harriet, 20, Sara Johnson 12, Reuben 10. There is no mention of William, Sammie's dad, only his mom Narcissa. Assume that William died during 1870.

A record of payment has also been found stating where Sammie paid for a child's funeral, after Jenny his wife had died from T.B in 1892. Actual funeral records of "Carpenter Myall & Searcy" (I've listed under documents) undertakers show a girl child named Jessie Johnson living from 1890-1892 and her funeral was paid for by Sammie. So I presume this child was Sammie and Jenny Penney's, along with Maggie Rena, Malcolm, and Charley......the 3 children we knew of. the profile pic I've added shows Samuel Johnson & his brother Ben, which could be our Samuel. He did have a brother named Wm B, which could be Ben. I've searched and searched for photos and this was on Ancestry.com, so this pic may or may not be our Sammie..........hard to say.

Info submitted by Linda Gillis/Sherwood McElwain and Bryan K. Sherwood 2010-2014