Jesse Johnson
Jesse Johnson, son of Baylie and Hannah Moffit Johnson, was born in Virginia, his father dying when Jesse was about 5 years old. His father was a soldier of the Revolution. After the death of the father, the widow and children came to Ohio and located in Ross county near Chillicothe, placing land warrants in Ross and Brown counties. Jesse spent his boyhood days in Ross county and at the age of 26 years he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Zachariah and Mary A. Freeland Roberts. This union was blessed with seven children, one son and six daughters, namely: William M., Mary A., Hannah, Lucretia, Rebecca, Nancy, Elizabeth. After marriage, they lived a short time near Chillicothe. Two or three years in Fayette county. In 1833, bought farm in Stokes township, Madison county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. While enduring all the privations and hardships incident to pioneer life, they bore it with patience and no complaint.
They gave their children good educations, three of the daughters being well-known teachers in Madison and Fayette counties. While educating them in school they did not neglect to give them lessons at home. First. obedience to parents, virtue, honesty and truthfulness, and warned them of the vices and sins of immorality, for which they are very grateful. The parents were always happy when at home, surrounded by their family.
They loved the church, the church of their choice, the dear old Christian church at Grassy Point in which they lived and for which they labored so many years, dying in the trinmphs of living faith. The once happy home circle has long since been broken. The husband and father was removed by death, August 19, 1874; the mother, April 14, 1881; daughter, Mrs. Hannah Lynch, September 13, 1887; William M. Johnson, April 21, 1905; Lucretia Johnson, April 27, 1905. But such is life; dearest ties are severed, fondest pleasures have an end.
From Madison Democrat 50th Anniversary - Published by the Madison Democrat, 1908