Milton Clark Johnson (1927 - 2023)

Born 8 Jun 1927 in Rice Lake, Barron, Wisconsin, United States

Ancestors

Died 14 Oct 2023 at age 96 in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Dana Johnson [send private message] and Rhonda Ellis [send private message]

Biography

Although christened Milton Clark, in later life, Milt preferred to be called by his middle name, Clark.

1927 Milton Clark Johnson was born on 8 Jun 1927 in Rice Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin, USA. (See Images tab to see copy of birth certificate.) His mother, Marie, had given birth to Milt's older brother in March of the previous year, and with three little girls at home, his mother felt she needed a break to give this new baby (Milt) and herself a chance to rest. So around May of 1927, she took a train from La Grange, Illinois to Rice Lake, Wisconsin to be cared for by her parents on their farm. Mother and baby remained in Rice Lake for about three months. During that time her younger sister Mae took care of the children in the family home in La Grange, Illinois with the help of the eldest daughter Ruby, who was about eight years old. ^[1]

1930 Before he was born, Milt's parents were able to move their family from Blue Island, Illinois, to a new house in La Grange, Proviso Township (Cook County), Illinois and by 1930 the family looked like this:

• Richard (Rutcherd) Johnson Head Male 35 Illinois
• Marie Johnson Wife Female 34 Illinois
• Ruby Johnson Daughter Female 11 Illinois
• Alice Johnson Daughter Female 9 Illinois
• Doris Johnson Daughter Female 7 Illinois
• Richard Johnson (Rutch or "Bud") Son Male 3 Illinois
• Milton Johnson Son Male 2 Wisconsin^[2]

About 1931 or 1932 Brothers Milt and Rutch (now about 4 and 5 years old?) had a knack for getting into trouble. A visitor's car had been parked outside at the top of a gently sloping hill. the enterprising duo were able to jump start the car by releasing the break and popping the clutch. Then one of them lay on the floor and worked the pedals while the other stood on the seat and steered. They drove for several blocks before the motor stalled and they were finally tracked down and, quite likely, punished. ^[3]

1940 The Johnsons remained at 802 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange, Illinois, USA in 1940. They appeared on the census that year as:

• Rutchard M Johnson Head Male 45 Illinois
• Marie L Johnson Wife Female 44 Illinois
• Ruby E Johnson Daughter Female 21 Illinois
• Alice N Johnson Daughter Female 19 Illinois
• Doris N Johnson Daughter Female 17 Illinois
• Rutchard M Johnson Son Male 14 Illinois
• Milton C Johnson Son Male 13 Wisconsin^[4]

1945 In 1945, Milt graduated from Lyons Township High School (LTHS). That same year he was inducted into the U.S. Army where he served as a Finance Clerk and was trained on a MKM M1 rifle. He served at various forts in the U.S. and attended finance school at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. He was honorably discharged with a WWII Victory Ribbon from Ft. Meade, Maryland, on November 13, 1946. (See Images tab to see copy of discharge certificate and a certificate of commendation for service in the U.S. Armed Forces from President Biden bestowed upon his death.) Upon being discharged, he entered Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.

1950 In April 1950 at the time of the 1950 US census Clark was a senior at Augustana College and living in the men's dormitory (probably Andreen Hall). He was a member of Omicron Sigma Omicron fraternity. Milt graduated in 1950 with a degree in accounting. Although a year older, his brother Rutch was in the same class (Rutch had served in the US Armed Forces (Okinawa)).^[5]

Class of 1950, Augustana College, Rockety-I yearbook

1950 - 1954 Milt married Shirlee Hall in the early 1950s in Grace Lutheran Church, La Grange, Illinois. They moved to Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, USA during this time and had their first child, Steven Kirk Johnson. They returned to live in La Grange Park, Illinois, USA where they were living at 432 North Ashland (a few blocks from Milt's parents' home) where their second child, a daughter named Rhonda Lee Johnson was born. In 1968, they bought and moved into a home at 645 South Ashland, La Grange, because the house at 432 was torn down to make a new parking lot for the fire station next door. In 1970, Milt and Shirlee divorced.

1977 Clark married Ann Leigh Aycock Maxwell on January 22, 1977. They settled in Geneva, Illinois, USA. (See Images tab to see copy of Ann's birth certificate and Clark and Ann's marriage certificate.)

1982 On December 19, 1982, Ann died of as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage. (See Images tab to see copy of Ann's death certificate.)

1984 - June Clark married Heide Deckers Wellershaus in St. Charles, Illinois, USA. Heide was born in Germany and became a U.S. naturalized citizen on June 25, 2003. They settled in Clark's home in Geneva, Illinois where they lived for many years. (See Images tab to see copy of Heide's birth certificate, her U.S. naturalization certificate, and Clark and Heide's marriage certificate.)

2013 In 2013, Clark suffered a stroke. He retained all cognitive abilities and most of his mobility, although he used a cane for walking.

2015 Having spent several enjoyable seasons wintering on Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach, they decided to retire to a home in Venice, Florida in July 2015.

2019 Clark's wife Heide died April 9, 2019 of esophageal cancer. Shortly thereafter Clark moved to some independent senior apartments in Annapolis, Maryland to be close to his daughter Rhonda and her husband Dave. (See Images tab to see copy of Heide's death certificate.)

2021 In September 2021, Clark moved to Bay Village Assisted Living, also in Annapolis, Maryland, after suffering from declining health.

2023 Milton Clark Johnson died a natural death on October 14, 2023 from a combination of ailments including debility, vascular dementia, cerebrovascular disease and hypertension. His interment at Sarasota National Cemetery (Wall D 3 Niche D 9) in Florida, USA was accompanied by a military ceremony. (See Images tab to see copy of Clark's death certificate.)

Interests

Throughout his life, Milt was an athlete. He enjoyed playing basketball, baseball and ice hockey, even playing in a men's hockey league in his 50s. But his passion was golf where he spent many days and hours swinging his clubs, most of the time at his beloved St. Charles Country Club. He had 11 holes-in-one and estimated that he played more than 3,000 games of golf. ^[6]

Career

As noted above, Clark graduated from Augustana College with an accounting degree and received some financial training while in the U.S. Army, which led to him becoming a Certified Public Accountant. He also earned an MBA at the Illinois Institute of Chicago in Illinois. He used his education and licensing throughout his life in various capacities: doing financial work for an apartment management firm in Chicago in the late 1950s, then working in the finance department of Semiconductor Specialists Inc., in Batavia, Illinois, in the 1960s and early 1970s advancing to being the executive overseeing Finance and IT. He then went on to be controller of the Jenner & Block law firm in Chicago, director of finance for Wisconsin Physicians Service, and designing and installing computer and accounting systems for Medicare/Medicaid and student loan programs.

In 1982 in joined the Wisconsin Bar Association consulting with law firms on how to best select and implement new financial systems. After retiring from full time work, he worked as a part-time executive director of the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation and continued to work as a consultant. Later in life, he worked part time at a tax company helping clients complete their taxes during tax season. (See Images tab to read Personnel Announcement from Wisconsin Bar Association with job history details.) ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Recollection of Clark as told to his niece, Dana Johnson, in April 2019.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XST5-X6R : accessed 26 July 2019), Marie Johnson in household of Richard Johnson, Proviso, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2311, sheet 43A, line 2, family 569, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 506; FHL microfilm 2,340,241.
3. ↑ A well-known family story told many times to the delight of the children and grandchildren.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KW4N-Q5W : 15 March 2018), Rutchard M Johnson, La Grange Park, Proviso Township, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 16-422A, sheet 3B, line 42, family 53, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 787.
5. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6J4C-8HPH : Fri Oct 06 06:01:11 UTC 2023), Entry for William L Oaks and John P Anderson, 3 April 1950.
6. ↑ Recollection of his daughter Rhonda Ellis.
7. ↑ Personal knowledge of his daughter Rhonda Ellis

See also:

• Family reunion booklet