JOHNSTON, Robert ^{1 2 3 4 5}

   Cause of his death was cancer of the stomach.⁷

  General Notes:

Excerpt from "A History of the Branches of My Family" by Cecil Herbert Edward Johnston and edited by Stephen Robert Johnston:

During his early manhood, he helped build the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He tried farming on a homestead near Winnipeg, Manitoba, but failed due to floods. He lived for a time with his brother William (my grandfather) SE 24-11-18. He then took over the preemption which Grandpa had on NE 1/4 24-11-18. Grandpa sold out in 1885 and moved to Saskatchewan. Apparently, he sold his interest in the NE 1/4 to his brother Robert and that in the SE 1/4 to the Nelsons <his wife's family>.

Uncle Bob built a very good house and barn on NE 1/4 24-11-18. He called it Maple Grove. He was married December 23, 1885 in Cornwallis Municipality, Manitoba to Cerena Caroline Driver, who was born February 20, 1868 in Harriston, Wellington County, Ontario, daughter of Henry John Driver and Elizabeth Maria Todd.

Robert did considerable dealing in land. At one time, he was involved on selling lots to develop the village of Justice. About 1909, he bought the homestead of his brother David.

Uncle Bob and Aunt Cerena were active members in the old Orange Hall Church as far back as 1892. A Sunday school was first started in the Orange Hall Lodge building on 30-11-17, near where I was born. In 1899 the Orange Hall Appointment built their first church, a "large church" with a basement by a plan whereby each member donated a certain number of acres of wheat to the building fund. That church burned in 1912, but the services were continued in homes until another building was completed. The first meeting was held in this new building July 28, 1914. I was christened there November 16, 1914. The new church was called Sparling Methodist Church. In 1925 it became the Sparling United Church. It was later consolidated with other churches, and in 1953 the building was bought by the Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church, Box 1089, Virden, Manitoba. It was torn down and rebuilt there 1954-1955. It was still standing and apparently in use in 1971 when I saw it.

July 15, 1979 I attended a dedication service for a beautiful cairn, which was built at the old church site. The cemetery is well cared for by a Cemetery Board.

I learned in 1979 that the large trees, which surround the Sparling Cemetery, were planted years ago by my grandfather Johnston and a neighbor. Reportedly, there was one tree left over, and the neighbor insisted that Grandpa plant it in his family plot.

It, like the other trees, is now very tall and is the only tree within the boundaries of the cemetery. <This tree remains as of September 2012. The two large markers for the families of these brothers are under it, and the Nelson family marker is one row distant>.

Uncle Bob and Grandpa made several trips back to Lime Lake to visit their many kinfolk there. Mother mentions one such trip in her diary January 1906. While there, they donated the pulpit for the new Lime Lake Church.

Uncle Bob was the only one of the brothers to live the rest of his life in Manitoba. I heard my first radio program in his home in 1924. Of all the Johnston families, that of Bob, it seems to me, had the most tragedy. One of his sons died in infancy, one at age 2, and one at age 17. One daughter died at age 16. He was living in Douglas, Manitoba in 1924. He died in Brandon June 11, 1926 of cancer of the stomach. His wife died February 19, 1950. She lived with her daughter, Muriel, after her husband's death. Burial was in the Sparling Cemetery.

Aunt Cerena had a mastoid operation about 1911 at the time that Grandpa and his brother John had their mastoid infections. See opposite page 6.

The trees at Maple Grove were planted by Robert Johnston and his father, James Johnston. A goiter half the size of a cup was removed from Uncle Bob's neck by a doctor specialist from Chicago.

Alan Johnston, grandson, has papers showing that his grandfather was a member of the Orange Lodge at Kincardine. That indicates to me that he was once a resident of that community. ⁸

  Burial Notes:

He is buried in Sparling Cemetery.

  Facts and details for Robert Johnston:

• He lived at log shanty in Hungerford Township, Hastings, Ontario, Canada in 1861. ⁹

• He lived in Hungerford Township, Hastings, Ontario, Canada in 1871. ¹⁰

• He lived in Elton, Westman, Manitoba, Canada from 1891 to 1906. ^{11 12 13}

• He was buried at the Sparling in Elton, Westman, Manitoba, Canada in 1926. ⁴

Robert married Serena Carolyn DRIVER, daughter of Henry John DRIVER and Elizabeth Maria TODD, on 23 Dec 1885 in Cornwallis, Westman, Manitoba, Canada.^{1 2} (Serena Carolyn DRIVER was born on 20 Feb 1868 in Harriston, Wellington, Ontario, Canada,^{1 14} died on 19 Feb 1950 ^{6 14} and was buried in Feb 1950 in Elton, Westman, Manitoba, Canada ^{6 14}.)