265 North Commercial 

Route #4, Pox #61E 

John Abe was the son of John and Matilda (Heardtle) Browning. John was born 5 Sep 1887, in Albany, Linn, Oregon and named after this father. He was one of nine children born to this couple, their first son. The family left the Albany area and moved to Salem by 1895 when John was just a boy. 

John grew up to be a man of medium build with blue eyes and light-colored hair. At the age of 21 he married a young woman named Lela Lorraine Lonsignont from the Portland area. This marriage took place 11 Nov 1908. John became a dairy farmer in Scappose, OR. On 25 Jul 1910 John and Lela welcomed a daughter who they named Lorraine Wilmina Browning. This would be John’s only child. 

According to his WW I draft registration, John and Lela had moved their family; they were now living and farming in St Helens, OR. This registration also states his father and mother were dependent on him for support. 

John and Lela had problems with their marriage and she filed for divorce in Feb 1922. She accused John of being of a very jealous disposition. John never remarried. John continued to farm into the early 1930’s. When he stopped farming, he moved back to the Salem area and went to work for the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill as a picker. 

John’s sisters Hattie (Browning) Tuel and Elizabeth (Browning) Charpilloz and his sister’s husbands also worked at the TKWM Co. His brothers, Ben, and Albert “Jack” Browning were employees at the mill, along with some of his Browning cousins. 

A newspaper article written 21 Jun 1938 states John sustained a severely lacerated left hand when he caught the hand in machinery while at work at the Kay Woolen mill. One might wonder if this accident led to his new position at the mill as a watchman. 

John worked at the mill until his death on 29 Nov 1945. He died at the Providence Hospital in Portland after a 9 day stay. His death certificate says he died from anemia and hypertensive cardio issues. John was 58 years old. John is buried at Salem Pioneer Cemetery, close to his parents. 

1938-39: Browning John A, textile wkr TKWM Co, r 370 N 20th 

1900: Abraham Brauning – Age: 12, Birth Date: Mar 1888, Birthplace: Oregon, USA, Home in 1900: Prospect, Marion, Oregon, Race: White, Gender: Male, Relation to Head of House: Son, Marital Status: Single, Father’s Name: John Brauning, Father’s Birthplace: Illinois, USA, Mother’s Name: Matilda Brauning, Mother’s Birthplace: Texas, USA, Occupation: Student, Attended School: 4, Can Read: Y, Can Write: Y, Can Speak English: Y, Household members: John Brauning (42), Matilda Brauning (40), Lena Brauning (20), Clara Brauning (14), Abraham Brauning (12), Hattie Brauning (10), Charlie Brauning (8), Lizzie Brauning (5), Ben Brauning (1)  

1910:  Abraham Browning – Age in 1910: 23, Birth Date: 1887, Birthplace: Oregon, Home in 1910: Scappoose, Columbia, Oregon, USA, Race: White, Gender: Male, Relation to Head of House: Head, Marital Status: Married, Father’s Birthplace: Iowa, Mother’s Birthplace: Oregon, Native Tongue: English, Occupation: Farmer, Industry: Farm, Employer, Employee or Other: Own Account, Able to read: Y, Able to Write: Y, Enumeration District Number: 0043, Years Married: 2, Enumerated Year: 1910, Household members: Abraham Browning (23), Lela Browning (20), George Louiagrot (26), Peter Louiagrot (15), Ida Louiagrot (11)  

1920:  Abe J Browning – Age: 31, Birth Year: abt 1889, Birthplace: Oregon, Home in 1920: St Helens, Columbia, Oregon, Street: Farms Dowies Farm, Race: White, Gender: Male, Relation to Head of House: Head, Marital Status: Married, Spouse’s Name: Lela L Browning, Father’s Birthplace: Illinois, Mother’s Birthplace: Texas, Able to Speak English: Yes, Occupation: Farmer, Industry: Dairy Farm, Employment Field: Own Account, Home Owned or Rented: Rented, Able to read: Yes, Able to Write: Yes, Household members: Abe J Browning (31), Lela L Browning (29), Loraine W Browning (9), Chas T Browning (27)  

1930:  John A Browning – Birth Year: abt 1892, Gender: Male, Race: White, Age in 1930: 38, Birthplace: Oregon, Marital Status: Single, Relation to Head of House: Head, Home in 1930: Marshland, Columbia, Oregon, USA, Street Address: Marshland Highway, Home Owned or Rented: Owned, Home Value: 500, Radio Set: No, Lives on Farm: Yes, Attended School: No, Able to Read and Write: Yes, Father’s Birthplace: Illinois, Mother’s Birthplace: Texas, Able to Speak English: Yes, Occupation: Farmer, Industry: Farm, Class of Worker: Working on own account, Employment: Yes, Household members: John A Browning (38), Marian Cline (77) (housekeeper), Floyd E Barnett (34), Joseph M Gelivich (19), Walter Baggenstos (16), Fred J Basquez (21) (boarders).  

1940:  John  Browning – Respondent: Yes, Age: 51, Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889, Gender: Male, Race: White, Birthplace: Oregon, Marital Status: Divorced, Relation to Head of House: Head, Home in 1940: 370 N 29th St, Salem, Marion, Oregon, Inferred Residence in 1935: Salem, Marion, Oregon,  Occupation: Watchman, Industry: Woolen Mills. House Owned or Rented: Rented, Attended School or College: No, Highest Grade Completed, Elementary school, 7th grade, Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in private work, Weeks Worked in 1939: 52, Income: 1031, Income Other Sources: No, Household members: John Browning (51), Larry G Snow (28) (boarder). 

John Abraham Browning – Birth: 5 Sep 1887, Linn County, Oregon, USA, Death: 29 Nov 1945 (aged 58), Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA, Burial: Salem Pioneer Cemetery, Salem, Marion County, Oregon, USA, Plot: 766, Memorial ID: 24112562 

The Oregon Daily Journal (Portland, OR) 25 Sep 1934, pg. 8 – Interview with Mrs. Mary Ann Lousignont (John Abe’s mother-in-law) 

Oregon Statesman (Salem, OR) 21 Jun 1938, pg. 5 – Man Mashes Hand 

The Capital Journal (Salem, OR) 1 Dec 1945, pg. 12 – John A. Browning Obituary 

Oregon Statesman (Salem, OR) 2 Dec 1945, pg. 5 – John Abraham Browning Obituary 

Longview Daily News (Longview, WA) 3 Apr 1996, pg. 12 – Lorraine Osborne Obituary (John Abraham Browning’s daughter) 

M3 1992-008-0003     Photo