This collection contains Johnston family photos of people, places, pets, and events, negatives, photocopies of a family scrapbook, a planner, and a letter.
Oliver Atkins Johnston (1887-1957) was born November 15, 1887, in Virden, Illinois, to Andrew A. Johnston and Hattie Mayberry Johnston. While serving in World War I, he was wounded in the battle of Argonne Forest. Oliver married Etta May Jones on July 10, 1920, and they had a daughter named Hattie. He was a mail carrier in Springfield, Illinois having worked at the local post office from 1920 to 1950. In his last position, he was an insurance broker at Wilson Brothers Insurance Company. Oliver and his family were active members of the First Methodist Church in Springfield, Illinois.
Etta Mae Johnston (1895-1984) was born near Glenarm, Illinois and was the daughter of W.A. Edmund and Harriet “Hattie” Murphy Jones. She was formally employed by the Wilson Brothers-Smith Insurance Agency for several years. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church (62 years), Deborah Circle of United Methodist Women, and the Official Board and Education Council of First United Methodist Church. Etta organized the Children’s Church and served as an elementary superintendent since 1929. She was also a member of the Springfield Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Etta Mae Johnston Circle of King’s Daughters, which was named after her. In 1973, she was named to the Senior Citizen Hall of Fame.
Hattie Loretta Johnston (1921-2001) was born in Springfield, Illinois to Oliver and Etta Johnston. She worked at Sangamo Electric Co. for many years and retired from the claims department at Horace Mann Insurance. She had been a member of the First United Methodist Church since 1930 and in 1994 she received the 65-year Sunday school and church perfect attendance award. She was a member and past president of the Auxiliary Unite 32, member, past president and secretary of the Local National Letter Carrier Auxiliary, directory of the Children’s Church, and member of the Springfield Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and King’s Daughters.