Henry Johnson dies suddenly

This story appeared in The Ypsilanti Daily Press of Saturday, May 9, 1908.

While he was conversing with Oscar R. Westfall, in his room in the boarding house at 40 Huron street at 7 o’clock last night, Henry Johnson, for a number of years prominent as a local business man, gasped and suddenly died. He expired without a word of warning.

Mr. Johnson had lived at Westfall’s for the last 12 years. He complained of feeling unwell this week but was able to be up and out almost daily.

“I asked him what he would have for supper,” said Mr. Westfall. “He said he had placed his order.”

“I suppose you will be going out now and have a visit with the boys’ he said to me. I told him I would not be away longer than to visit the meat marker: ‘I’m glad of that’ he added. It’s lonesome for me. I wish you would stay and visit until you are ready to go to bed.’

“We were chatting when he threw up his hand, gasped and expired.”

Mr. Johnson was born in Pontiac, March 6, 1857. He was best know in Ypsilanti as manager of the Rubber Tipped Dress Stay Co. in which were interested a number of local capitalists. He had the entire confidence of his associates and he made the business a success until changes in style of women’s dress killed the demand for stays. His factory was in the Curtis block in the quarters now occupied by the Daily Press.

Mr. Johnson was separated from his wife. They had no children. Mrs. Frank Johnson, widow of his only brother, living in Ann Arbor, made arrangements for the funeral. The body will remain at J. E. Moore’s undertaking rooms until Monday when a service will be held in the Presbyterian Church at Stony Creek at 2 p. m. The body will be interred beside those of his brother and mother.