In this last of a genealogy trilogy, we lend words and space to try and retrace the times and travels of the family of my wife, Evelyn Johns Domingo.
It should be noted that most of the data gathered and collated here came from cemetery records made available on the web. For indeed, not only will the paper documents recording births and deaths in a place point to peoples’ identities and whereabouts, but the very gravesites with their gravestones, lapidas, markers, etc., will through the harsh tests of time survive to tell their own unique stories.
This is one such story.
In the 1830s, a certain John Johns came to these shores in the East Coast from Prussia bringing with him the following distinguishing details: Born January 1, 1836 and married to Mary Schuler. His parents were said to be Christian Johns and Mary Weckler, who probably continued to live and to die in Prussia. John is recorded as having died in November 24, 1910.
And of special mention could be the fact that upon landing on these shores they had changed, or anglicized, their names for they were known to be Jewish.
John sired three children. A William Johns, married to Arilla A. Hyland, born on March 23, 1868 and died on March 25, 1941. A Peter H. Johns, married to Cora Washburn (who died on July 10, 1989 but had remarried to Charles Paden), born September 16, 1865 and died April 16, 1903. And the last one, a Jacob Johns who was married to Emma Warsko, who was born on February 25, 1874 and died June 9, 1928.
My wife’s maternal grandfather was Ernest J. Johns, a son of Peter H. Johns. He had seven other siblings, both full and half (because Cora Washburn had remarried after Peter).
Ernest J. was born in October of 1898 and was married to Braulia Duran, who came from a remote area in Sorgoson.
The obvious question may be asked how it was possible for a gentleman from temperate Michigan to meet and marry barrio lass from hot and humid Sorsogon, located in the southern tip of the island of Luzon in the Philippines?
The story unravels very much similar to stories of people with the wanderlust borne out of the insatiable human spirit that seeks out new things, new frontiers, anything new and daring, exciting adventures, etc..
At the close of WWI, sometime in 1917, Ernest J. took the then pioneering decision to uproot himself from his familiar and cozy surroundings in the East to try his luck on a faraway archipelago of 7,100 islands dotting the wide expanse of the vast Pacific.
The Philippine Islands, American territory, land of promise and coconut trees as far as the eye can see.
His forte was in mining, throwing him to the remote mountainous areas of the archipelago where gold and silver were prospected. And that was how Braulia was to meet her future life’s partner, from Sorsogon, to Masbate, to the mountains of Toledo, Cebu.
Both Ernest J. and Braulia are now dead. One dying over 35 years ago and the other 20 years later.
But an irony continues to cling and to haunt that then unusual partnership that started many years ago and produced six offspring, one being my mother-in-law, Fay Domingo.
Michigan-raised Ernest is buried in a cemetery in Cebu, while Sorsogon-descended Braulia is buried in a Colma Cemetery here in California.
And thus, the twain shall have to meet again ...sometime.
UPDATE: February 24, 2008
A crude chart of the Johns family is attached below.
Click on image to enlarge.
UPDATE : From Marilyn Johns, May 17, 2022
Thank you for writing about the Johns Family, where you count as an essential member being married to 1st cousin Evelyn- I'd just like to point out that from the union of Ernest Jacob W Johns and Braulia Ledesma Duran were the following offspring:
1 Jimmy D Johns *
2 Fern Johns Romero *
3 Fay Johns Domingo
4 Cora Johns Mankin
5 Jeanette Johns Abad Santos
6 George - who died in infancy * his remains are buried in Bat-ungan
7 Ernest J D Johns, Jr *
8 Jean Johns Go *
So there were 8 not 6 offspring those whose names are marked with * are deceased.
GRANDPA'S Main Expertise was due to his profession being an Accounting and Management graduate before he signed up to work as an executive for Syndicate Mining Company, a US government owned operation in Syndicate, Aroroy, Masbate - he served as Resident Comptroller until WW11 broke out and the Japanese totally turned Boom Town Syndicate into a total inoperable mess. All Americans were taken to UST Interment Camp in Manila as Prisoners Of War (POW)
The first born son (Dad) was trapped in Dumaguete Negros Oriental where he was a student in Silliman Institute ( founded by the Americans in 1901 - now known as Silliman University) Unable to go home, Jimmy Johns enlisted in the USAFFE ( United States Armed Forces in the Far East) as a 1st Lieutenant.
Grandma who was pregnant with the youngest, #8 ( was left behind in Masbate with the rest of the brood- Auntie Fern #2 was already married to Uncle Ruben Romero and they already had their 1st born, Inday Lillian Romero - Lillian Rodriguez Uncle Ruben Romero from Romblon served and stood to be the Man (he was the family's unsung hero) of the family as protector and provider.
After WW11 Grandpa was released by the Japs, and the Johns Family was reunited in Aroroy, Masbate - the 1st born Jimmy returned from Negros Oriental with a young wife and infant so at that time there were 2 infants in the family, Grandpa 's and Grandma's Baby Jean (born in 1943) and Baby Jessie Jane of Jimmy and Paz Merced born in 1944. It was not until the early 1950s when Grandpa and his immediate family relocated to Lutupan, Toledo, Cebu to serve as Resident Comptroller and Office Manager of ATLAS Mining & Development Company (ACMDC - then the biggest copper mine in the Far East, owned by Don Andres Soriano Y Cia. Grandpa established the family residences in Go Chan Subdivision, Hayco Engineering, Mabolo, Cebu.
Grandpa faithfully served ACMDC up to his retirement but being a very close friend of Don Andrres Soriano he had stocks invested in other Soriano industries like San Miguel, Philippine Herald, aside from ACMDC Cebu. As a young man however Grandpa was pioneering and he owned and operated a logging company in Sorsogon, the biggest cattle ranch in Masbate before WW11, vast agricultural lands in Siwayan, Bat-ungan and Mandaon, the family owned and operated rice and corn mills and was supplying some Chinese merchants in Aroroy. Moreover Grandpa prior to WW11 has acquired a private island across Puro Mainland in Aroroy. The islet served as a vacation haven for the extended family. Incidentally my sis Josephine Mae Johns Tabaloc #3 of our own 13 was born in the vacation house in the Island, I'm not very sure but possibly Cous Eleanor Romero Evangelista may have been born there too. Today the island which is shown in the map as Magaguilan Island is now part of the estate of former Masbate Governor Moises Espinoza and family - the local folks in Masbate however fondly call it St. John's Island.
BTW - the Johns Family estate was eventually sold sometime in 1969 to various interested investors but as early as 1962 property administration was left in the hands of "Incargados" after Jimmy Johns (Dad) and family were terrorized by cattle rustlers who liquidated some trusted men and then threatened to assassinate Jimmy Johns who was entrusted to oversee the family estate operations.At that time not one of us could go out of the camp- not even to go to school. Our family then left Masbate under heavy PC ( Philippine Constabulary ) escort through the generosity of then Masbate Governor Jesus Almiro.
Hopefully the Admin of the John Johns Family Ancestry and the Johns Family As One will likewise be able to see this and possibly include the info I've shared in the respective pages...Tagging Ernest Jacob Johns , Carol Johns , Richard Johns , Perry Johns
May be an image of map and text that says '1:28 5G Johns Island Puro Aroroy Masba × Pu Magaguilan Island CL PURO Puro Public Market Google WING SHOW LIST'
UPDATE: July 7, 2022
The Johns Journal of Cora Baker
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10159703735862348&set=pcb.10159703737187348
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