Excerpts from the, "Life History of Elmer Johnston" by Kris LeFebre

Elmer Johnston was born in Mt. Hope, Washington on July 14, 1895. In 1906, his family moved to Nez Perce, Idaho when he was a young boy. They lived on the Nez Perce Indian reservation for several years. Elmer's father William Jefferson Johnston, as a young man, ran a mule train into the Sierra Nevada mountains during the California gold rush and hauled pharmacy supplies to the gold miners on his mule train. Elmer's family moved to Montana (Great Falls area) in 1910. They homesteaded about 15 mile north west of Great Falls near Benton Lake.

The winters were very bitter (-50F) during the early 1900's. Their homes were wooden shacks, no insulation, they kept warm by woodstoves and featherbeds and lots of warm blankets. When they would come into Great Falls, they would heat big rocks in their stove and put them in the bottom of the sleigh. Then they would put a buffalo robe (tanned hide) over them to keep them warm.

Elmer attended grade school at Neuman School, north west of Great Falls. His last grade was grade 6. Elmer enjoyed the violin for barn dances west of Great Falls in the early 1900's. Elmer was drafted into the Army at age 21 for World War I. He was assigned to the 643rd Aero Supply Squadron. At the age of 22, he was sent to France for 18 months, and he took his violin to France with him. He told about sleeping under his truck each night for shelter from the rain and weather. Early in the morning they would be awakened by German planes flying overhead. They could hear the shrapnel (fragments from bullets) hit their trucks or objects around them. During this time Elmer was hit in the rib cage with a piece of shrapnel, and he never did have it removed. Elmer returned to Great Falls from the war in 1919.

Excerpts from the, "Life History of Elmer Johnston" by Kris LeFebre

Elmer Johnston was born in Mt. Hope, Washington on July 14, 1895. In 1906, his family moved to Nez Perce, Idaho when he was a young boy. They lived on the Nez Perce Indian reservation for several years. Elmer's father William Jefferson Johnston, as a young man, ran a mule train into the Sierra Nevada mountains during the California gold rush and hauled pharmacy supplies to the gold miners on his mule train. Elmer's family moved to Montana (Great Falls area) in 1910. They homesteaded about 15 mile north west of Great Falls near Benton Lake.

The winters were very bitter (-50F) during the early 1900's. Their homes were wooden shacks, no insulation, they kept warm by woodstoves and featherbeds and lots of warm blankets. When they would come into Great Falls, they would heat big rocks in their stove and put them in the bottom of the sleigh. Then they would put a buffalo robe (tanned hide) over them to keep them warm.

Elmer attended grade school at Neuman School, north west of Great Falls. His last grade was grade 6. Elmer enjoyed the violin for barn dances west of Great Falls in the early 1900's. Elmer was drafted into the Army at age 21 for World War I. He was assigned to the 643rd Aero Supply Squadron. At the age of 22, he was sent to France for 18 months, and he took his violin to France with him. He told about sleeping under his truck each night for shelter from the rain and weather. Early in the morning they would be awakened by German planes flying overhead. They could hear the shrapnel (fragments from bullets) hit their trucks or objects around them. During this time Elmer was hit in the rib cage with a piece of shrapnel, and he never did have it removed. Elmer returned to Great Falls from the war in 1919.