Israel Champion Johns
1850 - 1928

Israel Champion Johns, son of Jeremiah H. Johns and Mary Ann McClellan, was born March 10, 1850 near Bachlott Community in Charlton (now Brantley) County,
GA.

He married Kesiah (Kizzie) Caroline Smith, born 2 May 1853, the daughter of William Smith and Sarah Elizabeth Stewart. He and Kesiah had the following
children: (ref:1880 census)

Franklin Columbus, age 9
Jeremiah Gordon, age 8
William Isaac, age 7
Hilliam, age 6
Elizabeth Magdalene, age 5
Martha Victoria, age 1

Listed after 1880 census:

James Alfred, b. 1876
Owen K , b. 18 Dec1880
General Kyler, b. 29 Mar 1882

Kesiah died 22 Aug 1885, and Champ (as he was known), married Bathsheba Dowling,  b. 17 Jun 1853, dau. of David C. Dowling. She died on 3 Sep 1902. Champ died
14 Nov 1928. They are buried in the Bachlott Cemetery in what is now Brantley County, GA.  The cemetery is about six miles south of Nahunta, GA, just off
Hwy. US 301. Dorothy Johns Thomas, a descendant, lives near there in Brunswick and provided much of this information.

Kesiah's family, especially her sisters, were very interesting - Georgia Ann married Paul Columbus Johns, Sarah (the Ox Woman), Hannah (Big Six), Nancy
(Big Nancy), and Lydia (Queen of the Okefenokee, who amassed a fortune) were all amazons and could work alongside men. I have pictures.
But that's another story, as they say.

Regards, and Happy Hunting,
Cliff Johns