June 4, 2012 we lost one of Edward & Rose McDonalds oldest Great Grandsons, Theodore Everett Johnson, Sr., at age 91. I tell every one that he is buried between his two favorite people Mom and my brother Glenn, unless you count Tim Tebow and Dale, Jr. and my sister Charlotte and I fit in there somewhere. Charlotte agreed and said it's true.

Dad was 91 when he passed away June 4, 2012 in Port Orange, he was born March 12, 1921 in Port Orange, FL. He married Gladys Josephine Trahan, October 28, 1944, she was born November 19, 1918, Rayne, LA, died. May 2, 2006 Crowley, LA. They had three children: Charlotte Marie (Johnson) Boyd, born August 11,1945, Ted E. Johnson, Jr. (Buddy), born May 31, 1947 and Glenn Martin Johnson, born January 25, 1954 and died September 19, 2006.

He and his cousin Murray McDonald, age 92, born July 17, 1920 were two of the oldest living Great Grandsons of Edward and Rose McDonald before his passing.

Dad's parents were: Otis Myron Johnson, b. July 12, 1884, Spruce Creek, FL, d. November 4, 1954 in Port Orange, FL, & Hattie Henrietta Lastinger, b. November 7, 1893, in Spring Garden, FL, d. August 15, 1980 in Port Orange, FL, married: September 4, 1912.
 
Dad's Grandparents were: William Eldridge Johnson, b. September 20, 1850, (Hope Town) then called Great Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas, d. October 18, 1912 in Port Orange, FL & Mary Elizabeth McDonald, b. November 9, 1848 in Onslow, NC, d. August 16, 1922 in Port Orange, FL, married: July 4, 1870 in Port Orange, FL.

Dad's GGrandparents were: Edward Archibald McDonald, b. September 20, 1823 in New River, Onslow, NC, and died May 18, 1901 in Port Orange, Volusia, FL & Roselend Barber, b. April 06, 1823 in Dukeland, Onslow, NC, and died January 07, 1902 in Port Orange, Volusia, FL. married: February 07, 1848 in Dukeland, Onslow, NC.  

Dad's GGGrandparents were: Daniel McDaniel, b. between 1781 & 1791, d. between 1841 & 1850 and (Name unknown) Daniels first wife and mother of Edward, b. between 1781 & 1791, d. before 1839.

Dad's GGrandparents on William Johnson's side were: Thomas Johnson, b. May 18, 1824 in Cherokee Sound, Bahamas, d. abt. 1853 in Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas & Charlotte M. Bethel, b. November 1830 in Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas, d. After 1900 in Key West, FL, married: Abt. 1847 in Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas.

Dad's GGGrandparents on William Johnson's side were: Nathan Johnson, b. 1791, believed to be Mystic, CT according to family legend and Catherine Johnson, b. 1793. married in Bahamas before 1816. Nathan immigrated to Bahamas before 1811.

Theodore E. Johnson, Sr., and good friend Bobby Moore, owner of Bob's Shoe Shop in Port Orange taken during the taping and interview of Bobby and Dad for the Port Orange Government TV,  POG TV channel 199 part of the Oral History Series. Kent Donahue interviewed and videoed Dad and Bobby. Kent is Special Assistant to the City Manager and does a great job — he's been doing this on air since June 2005. The pogTV develops programming that focuses on the history of the community through the Port Orange Oral History Project. In this case we have Old Timers telling it like it was and having fun remembering events from their childhood and early days of Port Orange. Dad hunted and fished with Floyd Moore, Bobby's father for many years. Floyd had a hunting camp off 44 at Watson Island if my memory serves me. I was fortunate enough to go a couple times myself.   

 
Dad & Charlotte happened to stop in to see Bobby one day and Kent Donahue, Special Assistant to the City Manager of Port Orange was there interviewing Bobby and they asked him to join so he is on the second half of the CD and can be seen on POG TV channel 199 on a rotating basis.

Ted E. Johnson, Jr. (Buddy to the family) and Ted E. Johnson, Sr., visiting Merritt Island, FL National Wildlife Refuge on one of Dads beloved Sunday rides. Photo taken 2010.

Dad and daughter Charlotte Johnson Boyd, taken 2010 on our ride thru Merritt Island Wildlife Refuse.

He loved to ride out to Spruce Creek or down Tomoka Farms road to try and catch a glimpse of how it used to be and see if he could spot an old gopher turtle or flock of turkeys which he was very good at — he had excellent eye site. Many times my sister Charlotte and Dad would just take off down old US1 and see where it took them, over Rose Bay, which was named for Rose McDonald his Great Grandmother or follow Riverside Drive along the Halifax River thru New Smyrna, Edgewater, Oakhill and back on US1 to Mims and Titusville and usually tried to find some backroad for the return ride home but most of the time it ended up going the back way thru New Smyrna and down Tomoka Farms road and past the Spruce Creek Airport. 

Countless times Charlotte took him down to the river and/or the bridge and parked along the causeway but before going home they usually ended up parking in front of what was Jack Osteen's home on Halifax Drive before they tore it down along with the other wonderful old homes to make way for River Walk to try and see a mullet jump or porpoise chasing bait fish or the old Great Blue Heron that seemed to hang around that area. He enjoyed these simple things.

Dads had a wide assortment of caps. For Christmas a couple years ago we gave him this Florida Gators t-shirt and cap. Photo taken 2009.

The Old Boy was Gator Tough
I tell every one that he is buried between his two favorite people Mom and my brother Glenn, unless you count Tim Tebow and Dale, Jr. and my sister Charlotte and I fit in there somewhere. He loved Tim Tebow and Dale, Jr.