From Nevada Evening Journal November 14, 1931 (page 4)

Johnson Funeral at Story City

Special to the Journal.
Story City, Nov. 14--Funeral services for Dr. John Johnson of Fellows, Calif. were held Friday afternoon at the St. Petri Lutheran church at this place. Burial was made in the Fairview cemetery.

Dr. Johnson died Monday at his home in California and the body was brought here for burial.

He was a son of Mrs. Thomas Johnson*, who is now making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Albert Christensen at Clemons. Besides his mother and sister, he also leaves two brothers, Lawrence and William of California.

*SUBMITTER'S NOTE: He was a son of Thomas Johnson and Larsine Svaasand.



From History of Kern County, California
by Wallace Melvin Morgan

J. THOMAS JOHNSON, M. D.— Professional connection with the United States navy in the capacity of surgeon with the rank of lieutenant-commander gave Dr. Johnson a wide experience in the practice of materia medica and brought to him an important responsibility in the management of naval hospitals in the east. The selection of his life work was happily made. Natural qualifications adapted him for skill in therapeutics. From the beginning of his practice he has exhibited skill in the diagnosis of disease and efficiency in the selection of remedial agencies. Since he came to Kern county and opened a hospital at Fellows, he has risen to a high rank professionally in this new town, the "gem of the foothills." Much of his early life was passed in Chicago, where he was born May 18, 1882, and where his father, Thomas Johnson, was a member of the livestock commission firm of Johnson & Wilson, at the Union Stock Yards. He spent considerable time in Iowa while a young man and when the Spanish-American war broke out he was living at Des Moines, from which city he enlisted in Company B, Fifty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He went into camp at Chickamauga Park. Ga., and later was transferred to Company D, Forty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. With this regiment he went to Cuba and remained until the close of hostilities.

From early youth he had felt a drawing to the medical profession and after he had received his honorable discharge from the army he determined to take up the study of pharmacy. He entered the Highland Park College of Pharmacy at Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated from there in June, 1901. After he had received actual experience in drug stores, at various places for a while, he opened up a drug store at Story City, Iowa, which he ran successfully and sold out to advantage in time to matriculate at the medical department of Drake University at Des Moines, Iowa, in the fall of 1903, and thus carry out his cherished plans to become an M. D. He continued two years at Drake University and finished up by taking the last two years of a four-year medical course at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, from which he graduated with the degree of M. D., class of 1907.

To one of his ambitious and aspiring mind, the completion of a medical course did not signalize a cessation of study. On the other hand, he became very solicitous in enlarging his medical knowledge so that he might be better qualified to practice with success. For a time he served as an intern in the Philadelphia hospital and for two years he had the advantage of experience in Bellevue hospital in New York City. About 1909 he was commissioned surgeon in the United States navy, and assigned to duty at the naval hospital in Philadelphia. Soon he was transferred to Washington, D. C, and during his leisure hours in that city he took a
post-graduate course in a medical school. Next he had a brief experience in the New York City naval hospital and from there was transferred to the battleship Mississippi, after which he was assigned to recruiting duty in Chicago. From there he was ordered to San Francisco and there in May, 1911, resigned his commission.

Immediately after he resigned as surgeon in the navy Dr. Johnson came to Fellows and opened an office for practice, also acquired the establishment known as The Fellows Drug Company's store. Since he arrived here in June, 1911, he has won the confidence of the people, who recognize in him a surgeon of unusual skill and an experienced physician. While his practice is general and includes the treatment of disease in every form, he has specialized in the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and surgery. The need of a local hospital led him to interest himself in that work shortly after he had located here and he organized a hospital association of eight hundred members, of which he is now the president. The concern was incorporated in January, 1912, and the hospital was opened on the 10th of February, affording to the people of the vicinity a modern institution equipped with every convenience for the care of the sick. Before coming to the west Dr. Johnson joined the
Knights of Pythias at Des Moines, also Des Moines Lodge No. 98, B. P. O. E., and the blue lodge of Masons. He is a member of the Fellows Chamber of Commerce.

From Nevada Evening Journal November 14, 1931 (page 4)

Johnson Funeral at Story City

Special to the Journal.
Story City, Nov. 14--Funeral services for Dr. John Johnson of Fellows, Calif. were held Friday afternoon at the St. Petri Lutheran church at this place. Burial was made in the Fairview cemetery.

Dr. Johnson died Monday at his home in California and the body was brought here for burial.

He was a son of Mrs. Thomas Johnson*, who is now making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Albert Christensen at Clemons. Besides his mother and sister, he also leaves two brothers, Lawrence and William of California.

*SUBMITTER'S NOTE: He was a son of Thomas Johnson and Larsine Svaasand.



From History of Kern County, California
by Wallace Melvin Morgan

J. THOMAS JOHNSON, M. D.— Professional connection with the United States navy in the capacity of surgeon with the rank of lieutenant-commander gave Dr. Johnson a wide experience in the practice of materia medica and brought to him an important responsibility in the management of naval hospitals in the east. The selection of his life work was happily made. Natural qualifications adapted him for skill in therapeutics. From the beginning of his practice he has exhibited skill in the diagnosis of disease and efficiency in the selection of remedial agencies. Since he came to Kern county and opened a hospital at Fellows, he has risen to a high rank professionally in this new town, the "gem of the foothills." Much of his early life was passed in Chicago, where he was born May 18, 1882, and where his father, Thomas Johnson, was a member of the livestock commission firm of Johnson & Wilson, at the Union Stock Yards. He spent considerable time in Iowa while a young man and when the Spanish-American war broke out he was living at Des Moines, from which city he enlisted in Company B, Fifty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He went into camp at Chickamauga Park. Ga., and later was transferred to Company D, Forty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. With this regiment he went to Cuba and remained until the close of hostilities.

From early youth he had felt a drawing to the medical profession and after he had received his honorable discharge from the army he determined to take up the study of pharmacy. He entered the Highland Park College of Pharmacy at Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated from there in June, 1901. After he had received actual experience in drug stores, at various places for a while, he opened up a drug store at Story City, Iowa, which he ran successfully and sold out to advantage in time to matriculate at the medical department of Drake University at Des Moines, Iowa, in the fall of 1903, and thus carry out his cherished plans to become an M. D. He continued two years at Drake University and finished up by taking the last two years of a four-year medical course at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, from which he graduated with the degree of M. D., class of 1907.

To one of his ambitious and aspiring mind, the completion of a medical course did not signalize a cessation of study. On the other hand, he became very solicitous in enlarging his medical knowledge so that he might be better qualified to practice with success. For a time he served as an intern in the Philadelphia hospital and for two years he had the advantage of experience in Bellevue hospital in New York City. About 1909 he was commissioned surgeon in the United States navy, and assigned to duty at the naval hospital in Philadelphia. Soon he was transferred to Washington, D. C, and during his leisure hours in that city he took a
post-graduate course in a medical school. Next he had a brief experience in the New York City naval hospital and from there was transferred to the battleship Mississippi, after which he was assigned to recruiting duty in Chicago. From there he was ordered to San Francisco and there in May, 1911, resigned his commission.

Immediately after he resigned as surgeon in the navy Dr. Johnson came to Fellows and opened an office for practice, also acquired the establishment known as The Fellows Drug Company's store. Since he arrived here in June, 1911, he has won the confidence of the people, who recognize in him a surgeon of unusual skill and an experienced physician. While his practice is general and includes the treatment of disease in every form, he has specialized in the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and surgery. The need of a local hospital led him to interest himself in that work shortly after he had located here and he organized a hospital association of eight hundred members, of which he is now the president. The concern was incorporated in January, 1912, and the hospital was opened on the 10th of February, affording to the people of the vicinity a modern institution equipped with every convenience for the care of the sick. Before coming to the west Dr. Johnson joined the
Knights of Pythias at Des Moines, also Des Moines Lodge No. 98, B. P. O. E., and the blue lodge of Masons. He is a member of the Fellows Chamber of Commerce.