Born: Platte County, Missouri, January 31, 1850.
Died: Louisiana, Missouri, October 31, 1938.

Merritte Scott Johnson was born in Platte County, Missouri, Jan. 31, 1850. His father, in company with others, purchased the site and platted the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1854, and the subject of this sketch grew to manhood on a farm near that city. To a thorough academic education he added several years of elective work in college; and to a fair collegiate training has added years of diligent study and research in the library. He was married Dec. 20, 187a, to Carrie D. Leverton, of Hardin County, Iowa, and attributes much of his success to the good, practical, business sense and all-around helpfulness of his wife.

Bro. Johnson has never been guilty of sounding his own praise. He cares to be known and remembered, not by what he may say of himself, but only by what he has done. His reports of his work have always contained the briefest possible statement of facts. His pastorates have been at Holton, Kansas; Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Newton, Jefferson, Iowa City, Mason City and Ottumwa, Iowa. During his pastorate of four and a half years at Mason City, a handsome new church was erected at a cost of $14,000, and about four hundred members received into the church. A brief extract from the Mason City Daily Globe will give some estimate of his success and popularity in that city:

"Such men as Bro. Johnson do not go begging for a church. We know of none better equipped for his work that he. He has, through his guiding hand and Christian grace, been able to see the church here evolve from a small beginning to one of the first churches of the State; and the congregation still regrets sincerely that it is not in the province of good things to retain his leadership. In the retirement of Bro. Johnson from church work here, Mason City loses one of its ministers that all denominations and ministers were glad to honor. Perhaps never in the history of the city was there a minister more universally respected; and he leaves the city with the benediction of love and well wishes of the whole community."

Bro. Johnson is a pastor by nature, taste and training; a peacemaker, remarkably successful in harmonizing discordant elements, and in restoring the backslidden to fellowship and usefulness in the church. He is a successful recruiter, having many additions at regular services. He is not a professional proselyter, but has received into our fellowship a large number from other communions, including several ministers. His sermons are carefully prepared, but always delivered without manuscript and frequently without notes. He has great faith in the old gospel, when faithfully and lovingly proclaimed. He is uncompromising, but never unkind, hence commands the respect and esteem of all good people. He is carefu1 to avoid ruts and to give his congregations variety; hence his sermons are textual or topical, didactic or hortatory, doctrinal or practical, as the occasion may seem to require. The one here given was prepared especially for young people, and is a fair sample of the practical sermons he occasionally preaches. The writer has had the pleasure of the personal acquaintance of Bro. Johnson for many years, and is free to pronounce him a model preacher in every sense of the word, and he is blessed with a noble Christian family.