This is a sub-page of the main page that covers the families of brothers Christopher and John Gibson and of the second husband of the widow of Christopher, Thomas Johnston. Two of the children of Christopher (Ellen [married George Cook] and Christopher) and their half brother John Johnston brought their families to Chicago in 1881. Their nephew George Henry Gibson (1880, son of their brother James Gibson) came from Canada to live with Ellen's family about 1887, after his parents died. Thus there were four different immigrants to Chicago from the family.

Oakwoods Cemetery in Chicago is the final resting place of John Johnston's wife (Emma [born Butson]) and son George Henry Johnston and his wife (Martha [born Boezel]), as well as George's daughter Emma [married Ostlund & Cunnea] and some of her family. (John Johnston himself is buried in a lone grave in the Mount Greenwood Cemetery, on Chicago's far south side.) This page presents the information that I have gathered on their graves.

The family used Oakwoods Cemetery because this is the neighborhood in which they lived. At various times from the 1890's (and probably the 1880's) through at least the 1920's, family members lived north or west or south of the cemetery. In fact, when John Johnston's wife Emma died, the Johnston family (except the already deceased John) was living right across 67th Street from the cemetery, so that her burial is only a few hundred yards from where she lived. (See the map below.)

I believe that Ellen & George Cook and possibly also Christopher Gibson are buried at Oakwoods Cemetery. I recall having found their graves about 1970, next to each other near the southwest corner of the cemetery. However, I have moved many times since then, and my records are in boxes that I have not yet found. And my 2009 attempt to find their graves, including an hour in the rain walking the area with my sister Doreen, was in vain. So if anyone has information on them, please let me know.

I also believe that about 1970 I had found the isolated grave of John & Emma (Butson) Johnston's son who died young. I seem to recall this grave being in one of the O sections, near the southeast wall of the cemetery. But I cannot now find his information, and thus the cemetery staff were not able to tell me the location of his grave when I visited in 2009 for the first time in about 40 years.

Oakwoods Cemetery is roughly a half-mile square walled cemetery. It runs from 67th Street on the north to 71st Street on the south. The west boundary is Cottage Grove Avenue, and the main eastern boundary is the Illinois Central Railroad track. The southwest corner is the junction of 71st and Cottage Grove and the diagonal South Chicago Avenue. The office is just inside the north gate, off 67th Street. The address is 1035 E 67th Street, and the telephone number is (773) 288-3800.

The records are unfortunately not indexed by name. Thus you need to have a date of death to find someone's information.

Click on the map for the full sized image.