News Article: The Miller County Sentinel, May 23, 1957

Ira Johnson, 77, was found dead Monday evening at his home south of Tuscumbia by a neighbor, Irvin Snodgrass. Mr. Snodgrass, Tuscumbia postmaster, had been told by a route carrier, Everett Cotten, that Mr. Johnson had not picked up his mail from the box for a few days and other neighbors noted that he had not been seen since Tuesday of last week.

As Mr. Snodgrass returned home from his work at the post office, he stopped at the Johnson home to find that no one answered his knocking on the door. He looked through a bedroom window to discover the body lying on the floor.

Officers and a doctor were called and death was attributed to a heart attack. The report of the coroner determined that he had been dead since Thursday of last week.

Mr. Johnson was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Benny Johnson, and was born and reared in Miller County. His wife, the former Julia Barnhart, preceded him in death on March 17, of this year.

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Mary Henson, Decatur, Ill., Mrs. Bertha Keithly, also of Decatur, and Mrs. Lena Woods of Collinsville, Ill.; four sons, Amos, Floyd and Harley, all of Granite City, Ill., and Fred of Paradise, La.; one brother, Rev. Jesse Johnson, of Wichita, Kan., and three sisters, Mrs. Rosa Barnhart of Licking, Mo., Mrs. Ollie Hendricks and Mrs. Emma Bear, both of Tuscumbia.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson spent their early life in Miller County, then resided in Granite City, Ill., where their older children were reared. They returned to Miller County where they had lived for possibly the past 20 years.

Funeral services will be held this afternoon, Wednesday, at two o'clock at the Mt. Zion Church with the Rev. Mark Sooter officiating. Burial will be in the Mt. Zion Cemetery with Hedges in charge of arrangements.

NOte; JOHNSON, IRA WILLIAM-b. APR 30 1880 TUSCUMBIA MO-d. MAY 16 1957 TUSCUMBIA MO-m. APR 30 1899 PULIA BARNHART-c. 11 LBN-s/o BENJAMIN & MARIAH JOHNSON-OBIT DATE: MAY 30 1957(PCD)