Biography - JAMES FINIS JOHNSTON
A prosperous business man and prominent citizen of Greenville, James F.
Johnston is now rendering appreciated service as circuit clerk of Bond
county, and is widely known in industrial, fraternal and social circles. He
was born February 20, 1879, in Miltonvale, Kansas, where his boyhood days
were spent. His father, William H. Johnston, was born in Bond county,
Illinois, in 1843, of pioneer stock, and grew to man's estate on his
father's farm. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in the Union
army for a period of ninety days, and was commissioned second lieutenant of
his company. Locating in Cloud county, Kansas, after the war, he was busily
engaged in farming, stock raising and as a general merchant until his death,
in 1888, when but forty-five years of age. He was a man of great
intelligence and excellent business capacity, and took much interest in the
affairs of the community in which he resided. He was a Republican in
politics; a member of the Grand Army of the Republic; and belonged to the
Cumberland Presbyterian church, to which his widow, now a resident of
Mulberry Grove, Illinois, belongs. He married, in 1866, Leonora Emeline
Reeves, of Bond county, Illinois, and of the seven children born of their
union five are now living, James F. being the youngest child.
Living in Kansas until eleven years old, James F. Johnston obtained his
first knowledge of books in the rural. schools of Miltonvale, and after
returning to Illinois he continued his studies in the public schools of Bond
county, later taking a course in the commercial department of Greenville
College. Thus equipped, he began his active career as bookkeeper for the
Smithboro Mine, holding the position until the following year, when the mine
suspended operations. He subsequently clerked three years for the McLain and
Cable Grocery Company, and was afterwards similarly employed in the clothing
department of the store owned by Weise & Bradford. In 1905 Mr. Johnston was
elected city clerk of Greenville, and in 1907 was re-elected to the same
office. From 1906 until 1909 he carried on a substantial business as junior
member of the firm of Mitchell & Johnston, real estate dealers, the
partnership being dissolved when Mr. Johnston assumed the office of circuit
clerk of Bond county, to which he was elected, by the Republican party, in
the fall of 1908, and in which he has since served with credit to himself
and to the honor of his constituents. Mr. Johnston is secretary and
treasurer of the Cyclone Hose Company, also secretary and treasurer of the
Old Settlers' Association of Bond county, and is actively interested in the
real estate and insurance business, in addition to which he makes a
specialty of loaning money.
Mr. Johnston married, in 1900, Georgia N. Ferryman, a daughter of George and
Alice Ferryman, her father being editor of the Greenville Item. Four
children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, namely:
William Carl, Floyd Ferryman, Margaret Elizabeth (who died in childhood),
and Alice Leonora.
Mr. Johnston is an active member of the Republican party, and both he and
his wife are members of the Christian church. Fraternally Mr. Johnston is a
member of Greenville Lodge, No. 245, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of
Masons; of Clark Lodge, No. 3, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and of
Browning Lodge, Knights of Pythias. He is an enthusiastic lodge worker, and
at different times has served as a delegate to the Grand Lodges of his
Orders.
Extracted 10 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 History of Southern Illinois, by George W. Smith, volume 3, pages 1142-1143.
