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Ronald Lee Johnson, born June 22,1934, at the Valley Grove Ranch, 10 miles east of Kiowa, CO, on the Bijou Creek. He was the son of George William Henry Johnson and Ruth Grace (Baker) Johnson. George and Ruth were married December 24,1930 in Castle Rock, Douglas County, CO.

George was born September 21,1906, in Ness County, Kansas, son of Charles F. Johnson and Mary "Mollie" Elizabeth (Schrock) Johnson. The Schrock ancestors were traced back to Jacob Hochstettler, who migrated to the United States from Rotterdam, Holland. He was born in Canton Bern Switzerland and, due to religious persecutions, the family migrated to Germany and then to the United States. Jacob was the first to come to America, on the ship "Harle," arriving in Philadelphia September 1, 1736. He was born about 1704.

Charles F. Johnson, born June 14,1868, possibly in IA, moving to Galesburg, IL. and to Mt. Pleasant, IA, before homesteading in KS. Charles and Mary were married March 11, 1902 in Ransom, KS.

There is a long lineage traced to Jacob Hochstettler in the family files. They were Amish people - Pennsylvania Dutch and a very religious people. Ruth (Baker) Johnson, born June 17,1910 at the Valley Grove Ranch, 10 miles east of Kiowa, CO, was the daughter of William Clarence Baker and Cora Ann (Hargis) Baker. William and Cora were married March 4,1898, in Littleton, Arapahoe County, Colorado and lived in Wheatridge, Colorado for several years before moving to Kiowa, where they homesteaded on the ranch in the early 1900's. Here their entire lives evolved around the Ranch, until all the family had married, moved away or died at the ranch, which was sold in the late 1960s.

Ronald's grandparents, Charles and Mary Johnson moved to Washington State, where they died - Charles, in October 1921, age 52 years and Mary Elizabeth Johnson in 1926 at the age of 42 years.

The grandparents, William Clarence Baker and Cora Ann (Hargis) Baker, died at the Ranch in Kiowa - William C. Baker July 13,1942, 66 years of age and Cora Ann (Hargis) Baker, July 16,1962, age 91 years, 4 months. They are buried in the Baker Family Plot in the Elizabeth, CO. Cemetery.

Ronald Johnson was raised and educated in Arapahoe and Elbert, County, CO, where he graduated from the Agate High School in Agate, CO, on May 23,1952 when he was almost 18 years old. He had one sister, Lois.

Ronald, "Ron," was raised mostly by his father, George, his grandparents, and uncles on the Baker Ranch while his mother, Ruth was away teaching school. When Lois was old enough to go to school, she lived with her mother wherever she was teaching.

Ron enlisted in the United states Army, when he was about 21 years old, in January, 1957 and was assigned to Battery B of the 9th Training Battalion, of the United States Training Command. Underwent Basic Training at Ft. Bliss, El Paso, TX, before being sent to Germany in the Korean War. Here he had a Country-Western Band, entertaining the troops and was known as "Johnny" Johnson.

During the summer of 1959, he worked at the "Singin' River Ranch," near Evergreen, Jefferson County, CO. as a wrangler and entertainer, after his return from Germany and upon Discharge from the United States Army. Singin' River was a guest and dude ranch for tourists and catered picnics for companies from all over Colorado. There, he met Mary Elizabeth Wilson, who also worked at the ranch. Ron and Mary were married December 13,1959, at the home of her parents. Mary's Mother being a granddaughter of Ophelia Ann (Heatley) Stevens, born in 1861, Auraria, Colorado Territory.

By this time Ronald was working for Safeway Stores in the Ice Cream Department in Denver, and singing with Country and Western Bands, one of them being, "The Midnight Ramblers." He could play any stringed instrument by ear, but he could not read a note of music. His favorite being the steel guitar. He owned one of the first "pedal" steel guitars manufactured.

Ron and Mary had a daughter. When she was three months old, Ronnie died, very suddenly, January 14,1961, at the family home, on W. 8th. Ave., He was 26 years and 7 months old. Funeral services were held in the Agate High School, in Agate, CO, from which he had graduated nine years before. Burial was in the Baker Family Plot, in the cemetery in Elizabeth, CO., on a very cold, windy day in January. He left many grieving friends and family members mourning his death at such an early age, when he had so much to give the world in his wonderful personality, his talented music and his beautiful voice. Ron and Mary's daughter lives in Denver.

George Johnson passed away in his sleep at his home, in Deer Trail, CO. from a heart attack. He was 75 years and 10 mos. old, and was buried the Evergreen Cemetery, from the Friend's Church in Deer Trail, CO.

Ruth Grace (Baker) Johnson, passed away, March 7,1997, in the Hugo, CO. hospital from complications from pneumonia. Funeral Services were held in the First Baptist Church in Deer Trail and she was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery next to her husband, George.

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