THE LIFE OF WILLIAM "ROSS" JOHNSTON

     William "Ross" Johnston is my fraternal grandpa.  He was the tenth and youngest child of Jones "Yancy" Johnston and Nancy Jane Owens. His parents married September 8, 1881 in Arkansas. Ten children were born, nine boys and one girl. 
     Ross was born September 18, 1901 in Western Grove, Arkansas. His mom died in 1909 when he was seven years old. His dad married Nancy Ellen Young Cook after Nancy Jane's death.  Ross grew up in Arkansas first around Western Grove area and later around Harrison, Arkansas.  He married Maudie Mae Adams on September 12, 1920 in Deer, Arkansas. Maudie was born Dec. 6, 1904 in Deer, Arkansas.  Her parents were "Bill" William Newton Adams and Arka Delphia Faught. She was the oldest of seven children.  
     Ross and Maudie married at a young age. She was only 15 and he was 18. She wanted to be a school teacher. Her and her mother were both expecting at the same time. Maudie with their first child in Aug. of  1921 and her mom with her youngest who was born in March of 1922. Ross and Maudie's oldest child was six months older than his uncle. 
     When they were first married, they lived with Ross's widowed dad, Yancy, in Arkansas.  My grandpa told me story's about when they were at the supper table, him and granny would flip potatoes at each other across the table.  Great grandpa Yancy, would calmly sit and continue eating quietly with all of that going on. In 1926 great grandpa married Nancy Ellen Young Cook, who was born in Missouri.  
     Ross and Maudie only had two children, James "Leon" born August 9, 1921 in Western Grove, Arkansas and Yancy "Bernice", who was named after her grandpa, on November 29, 1924 in Big Prairie, Oklahoma.  When Maudie was expecting Bernice, her husband Ross, son Leon and her parents and siblings moved from Arkansas to Big Prairie, Oklahoma.  Maudie and her younger brother Odis Adams, rode the train, so she would be more comfortable.  The rest of the two families traveled with their belonging's piled high on wagons pulled by horses. It was in the winter time. I don't know how much later they moved on to Ashland, Oklahoma, but in 1930 in Ashland Papa and Granny, and Granny's parents joined the Church of God. This was before the (7th Day) was added to the church name. This church worshiped on Saturday, the seventh day sabbath as mentioned in the scriptures. 
     I don't know how they got aquainted with the Church of God and joined.  Ross became a license's minister in 1933, when my dad was 12 years old. I might add the town of Big Prairie, Oklahoma no longer exists. Ashland isn't much of a town anymore either.  My great grand-parents Bill and Arka Adams are buried beside each other in the Ashland Cemetery. 
     Ross, Maudie and their two children moved from Ashland to the McAlester area.  Why, I have no idea. Papa didn't become the pastor of the local church there. I have grade school pictures of my dad from the Ashland and McAlester elementary schools. 
     When my dad was 14 years old, his parents sent him to a CC camp in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Later they moved to California for about three years. Out there Ross didn't pastor a church, he worked at a nursery for the Curtis family, who were members of the church. Papa told me he had a rough time in California for the three years they were out there, he had heart problems. He said he couldn't lift his arms much higher than his head, or he would almost pass out. 
     Aunt Bernice ran away and got married when she was 16 years old. The marriage was a rocky one. When I was six and seven years old, Aunt Bernice, her husband Frank Beech and their five girls, lived next door to us in a white concrete block house right off State Highway 20 east bound in Claremore, as you go toward Pryor, Ok.  She moved back and forth between her husband and her parents' home. I always felt Granny favored Aunt Bernice's girls over us three.  Maybe because they lived with her and Papa so much. 
     Ross was the pastor of the Deming, New Mexico church at one point. I do not have the dates for that. I do believe they were living in Clovis, New Mexico when my dad enlisted in the Army. He knew he would be drafted soon because we were at war with Japan, so he went ahead and enlisted in July of 1942 at the age of 20. He turned 21 on the 9th of August of that year. He was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas for his training.   
      The next place I know they lived was in Willcox, Arizona. Leon was living in San Francisco, California at the time. It must have been in 1947. Papa and Granny and Aunt Bernice and her girls lived there for a few years. Later the grands moved to Phoenix, Arizona along with my mom and dad.  
     In 1952 while living in Phoenix, Papa was hired by the Church of God (7th Day) in Claremore to become their pastor. He and Granny moved from Phoenix to Claremore in February of 1952. In 1957 Papa received some property from Tobe Brunson, a member of his congregation, and built a house in Inola. Papa drove the fifteen miles to Claremore to continue his pastoral duties of the church in Claremore. They remained in Inola for 30 years. 
     In 1965 Papa helped the group in Tulsa to build a church.  The group had been meeting since about 1955 and had been using the Odd Fellow's Hall for church. But they wanted a building of their own.  Brother and Sister Russell purchased an old building 
in about 1956 in Tulsa from Mohawk Park. Later the building was condemned and had to be torn down. So with the help of members of the Claremore Church and a loan from a local brother, a church building was raised, on the property that was purchased from the Russell's in 1956. Ross became their first pastor along with still being the pastor of the Claremore COG7. 
     Ross remained the pastor of the Claremore Church for about 21 years.  In 1973 he retired as pastor and went back into evangelism.  He turned the congre-gation over to Elder Robert Norvell.  Bob had attended the church in Inola as a boy.  His family moved to Arizona where he met his wife Clem and they had three children before moving to Inola in 1973.  Papa was Bob's mentor.  In 1974 Elder Robert Norvell became the pastor of the Claremore Church of God (7th Day) until August of 1977.
     Papa and Granny sold their house in Inola in 1987 and moved back to Claremore, where they remained the rest of their days. Papa served in the ministry of the Church of God (7th day) for 65 years. They were married 72 years before Maudie passed away in Jan- uary of 1991, at the age of 87. She is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Claremore, Oklahoma. Ross passed away on February 22, 1996 at the age of 94 years and five months. He out lived his wife and son. Their daughter, Bernice, lived in California. He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery beside his wife. 

written by Connie Johnston James, granddaughter of Ross and Maudie Johnston. April 21, 2022