The Johnson/Carlton family tragedy was played out in front page news in The Dallas Journal, on Thursday, February 1, 1940. Bessie Died under domestic violence circumstances. Her violent death left behind her 6 year old son Garner Johnson who lost his mother to violence and his father to the judicial system and mental illness. The newspaper articles continued to report the tragic circumstances of a family in conflict and turmoil. It has taken me many years to locate her life and death story and to find out what happened to my father's aunt and her small son. We know she is buried at Sec. X Lot 41 sect K. I still can't locate whether a headstone was ever placed to mark her young violent departure from this life. We are still trying to locate what became of the son, but believe he was raised by one of Bessies husband's family. We also believe the son has since passed away at the age of 27 in 1961 in Alameda Calif. Bessie was the middle Daughter of Dr. Samuel Ringold Carlton and Lila Mae Luck of Gorman near Dallas Texas. Both preceeded her in death. Her mother Lilla Mae Carlton died when Bessie was just 6 years old. She had two sisters and three brothers. Her older brothers were Allen Truitt, William Odell, and Otto Alfred, and her sisters were Pauline and Nita.
Thanks to Michele at Restlands for doing a Platt walk to locate Bessie and determine that she was indeed given a memorial stone.
Thanks to Michele at Restlands for doing a Platt walk to locate Bessie and determine that she was indeed given a memorial stone.
The Johnson/Carlton family tragedy was played out in front page news in The Dallas Journal, on Thursday, February 1, 1940. Bessie Died under domestic violence circumstances. Her violent death left behind her 6 year old son Garner Johnson who lost his mother to violence and his father to the judicial system and mental illness. The newspaper articles continued to report the tragic circumstances of a family in conflict and turmoil. It has taken me many years to locate her life and death story and to find out what happened to my father's aunt and her small son. We know she is buried at Sec. X Lot 41 sect K. I still can't locate whether a headstone was ever placed to mark her young violent departure from this life. We are still trying to locate what became of the son, but believe he was raised by one of Bessies husband's family. We also believe the son has since passed away at the age of 27 in 1961 in Alameda Calif. Bessie was the middle Daughter of Dr. Samuel Ringold Carlton and Lila Mae Luck of Gorman near Dallas Texas. Both preceeded her in death. Her mother Lilla Mae Carlton died when Bessie was just 6 years old. She had two sisters and three brothers. Her older brothers were Allen Truitt, William Odell, and Otto Alfred, and her sisters were Pauline and Nita.
Thanks to Michele at Restlands for doing a Platt walk to locate Bessie and determine that she was indeed given a memorial stone.
Thanks to Michele at Restlands for doing a Platt walk to locate Bessie and determine that she was indeed given a memorial stone.
