Johnson - (Rev) ER - 1902 - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Frankfort, Ind Sept 28 – The Rev. ER Johnson who died today at his home in Mulberry, west of this city, had perhaps the strangest and most unusual experience of any man in the state. About 10 years ago (doesn’t jive with other info) he fell ill with typhoid fever and for days his life hung in the balance. The attending physicians finally noted what they supposed was the approach of death and his family was called in to take the last farewell. He bid each member good bye giving to each his blessing. To his wife he gave directions for his funeral, and designated the ministers whom he wished to conduct the funeral. Hardly had he completed the arrangements than he gave a gasp and fell back on the pillow and was pronounced dead by the physicians. The body was prepared for burial by the village undertaker and through two days and nights friends watched beside the remains. The day for the funeral was set, the family carrying out the wishes of the husband and father in regard to the funeral. The funeral services were almost completed and a select choir was singing the closing hymn when Mr. Johnson surprised all present by raising up in his coffin as though just aroused from sleep. The services were brought to a sudden close, several women fainting. Friends assisted the minister from the coffin to a bed.  Physicians were called and though it was three days before he was able to speak, his improvement was steady and in a few months he had entirely recover his health. The two days and nights that he lay in a coffin were blank to him, he remembering nothing that transpired after bidding his family good bye and making preparations for the funeral. It is considered one of the strangest cases ever happening in the state.

Source: Indianapolis News 29 Sept 1902 p 11

Frankfort, Ind Sept 29 – The death of the Rev. ER Johnson recalls an incident of 1869 while he was pastor of Oakland Hill mission at Lafayette. He was pronounced dead and was lying in his coffin before the pulpit of his church. The Rev. JW Joyce, who is now a bishop, had charge of the funeral services, and just as he finished a scripture reading a gust of wind bles the church door shut with a bang.  Instantly the supposed dead man sat up in his coffing, gazed about him and saw to his astonishment that he was surrounded by his congregation, many in tears. The body had not been embalmed.  He could never be induced to relate his feelings while in the cataleptic state but he had great fear that he would be buried alive and every test was made last Saturday to be sure that there was no spark of life in the body. The doctors felt certain that death had actually occurred and the body was embalmed.

Source: Indianapolis News 14 May 1902 Wed p 14

Mulberry, Ind May 14 – The Rev. ER Johnson was 71 years old today. He has been a minister of the ME Church for 44 years. While ill many years ago it was thought he was dead. His body was placed in a coffin and the funeral services was about to begin when he astonished his friends by arousing as “if he had been in a sleep.”

Source: Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette 28 Sept 1902

Indianapolis Sept 27 – A special to the Sentinel from Frankfort, Ind says: The Rev. Elijah R. Johnson, one of the most widely known Methodist ministers in the west, died for the second time, according to the decision of noted physicians at his home in Mulberry 10 miles west of here today at the age of  72 years. His first supposed demise occurred in June, 1869.  At that time he was the pastor of the Oakland Hill Mission Church, now Congress Street Methodist Episcopal Church at Lafayette, Ind. The Rev. Mr. Johnson worked so hard in building up his congregation and a new house of workshop that he was overcome by nervous prostration and after a week’s illness he apparently died. Dr. Keifer, then one of the state’s most noted physicians, pronounced him dead and this opinion was concurred in by other doctors. The Rev. Mr. Johnson had always been opposed to embalming and his body was not embalmed and to this face he owed 33 years of active life. The body lay three days, arrangements for the funeral were made.  The Rev. JW Joyce, now one of the best known bishops of the church had charge of the funeral service. The services had proceeded to the conclusion of the scriptural lesson and the preacher had just uttered the name of Rev. Mr. Johnson preparatory to giving an obituary when a sudden gust of wind blew a door shut and the supposed corpse sat up in the coffin. Two weeks later Bishop Joyce accompanied the Rev. Mr. Johnson to his church and from the pulpit said “Here in this pulpit with me is a man that has come back to us from the gates of death.”  Many attempts to get a statement from Rev. Johnson as to his sensations during his cataleptic state have always been met with “What I saw I shall never tell to mortal man.” - kbz

NOTE: Elijah Rockwood Johnson