Tombstone Tuesday – Johns

I never knew my Grandparents Johns. They both died before I was born; but, I heard many stories about them from my Mother. Mom told me they both died when her younger brother was very small. Mom always said that her Mother died one year, one month and one day after her father – Julius Johns was killed in a pedestrian-automobile accident.  

Julius Johns, my Grandfather, was born 4 March 1887 to Joseph Henry Johns and his wife Laura Driggers. He was struck by an automobile on Saturday night and died in a hospital in Monroe, Union County, North Carolina on Monday, May 16^th, 1937. 

FATAL HIGHWAY ACCIDENT - Julius Johns, age 51, of the Zoar section, died in a Monroe hospital Monday evening at 8:00 o'clock after having been struck by an automobile on highway No. 9 Saturday night at 8:20 o'clock. Testimony at the coroner's inquest late Wednesday afternoon tended to show that Mr. Johns was struck by an automobile driven by Mr. Fred (Dock) Hinson, that Mr. Johns was walking on the concrete near the junction of Highway No. 9 and the Zoar road. Evidence did not show that Hinson was driving at excessive speed. The coroner's verdict was that the accident was unavoidable. Mr. Johns was buried at Zoar Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock, services being conducted by the Rev. E. S. Dunbar and the Rev. F. M. Cannon. He had lived in this county for twenty-seven years. He was employed by W.P.A. on the Sandhill project at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife and seven children ranging in age from seven to 24 years. They are Carl, Mary, Luther, Willie, Ruby, Bennie and [still living].[1]

Grandma Mamie was born on 21 September 1889 to Benjamin Franklin Brock and Louise Ellen Sellers. She died 17 June 1938 in Chesterfield, South Carolina.  

Julius and Mamie were married 16 June 1912 in Chesterfield, South Carolina. They are buried at Zoar United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Genealogy Hint: For many years I could not find anything about my Grandfather accident. One day while talking to another genealogist he ask if I had checked surrounding areas. I replied yes. he replied, maybe he didn't die immediately where was the nearest hospital in 1937. The nearest hospital at that time was Monroe, NC and that is where my Grandfather died 3 days after the accident. 

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[1] "The Chesterfield Advertiser", May 20, 1937