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Blackett · Averett · Stephens line (Jerry's mother's side)

Fern Blackett Johnston

Fern Blackett

Jerry's mother. Through her runs the whole Blackett–Averett–Stephens line: from a Mormon Battalion veteran, to a London leap-year baby stranded on the Nebraska frontier, and possibly back to a Revolutionary War general. Her son's middle name, Blackett, honors her family. Buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

At a Glance  Documented

Born
November 4, 1918, Provo, Utah
Died
2007
Parents
Robert Earl Blackett & Edna Mary Knudson
Spouse
John Paul Johnston (married June 29, 1940, Salt Lake City)
Children
Paul, Karen, Rob, Jerry, and Bryan
Family line
Blackett · Averett · Stephens line (Jerry's mother's side)
Relation to Jerry
Jerry's mother

How sure are we? Documented.

Read about Fern in…

The Name You Carry · The Family Tree

Sources for this page

  • Salt Lake City Cemetery records
    Cemetery record · established 1847
    200 North Street, Salt Lake City. Resting place of James Johnston, Bianca Jane Gibson, Clarence Earl Johnston, Tessie Sims Smith, John Paul Johnston, and Fern Blackett Johnston.
  • Family handwritten notes passed down to Jerry's father
    Primary source — family papers
    The handwritten notes preserved in the family, including the account of General William Stephens's death aboard the prison ship Forshay and the (likely erroneous) 1880 birth year for Robert Earl Blackett.

Notes from the family

Remember something about Fern? A story, a photo, a correction, a date? Even a messy note helps. Just open the plain-text file research-notes/fern-blackett-notes.md and type it in — or tell Scott (or Claude Code) “add this to Fern’s page,” and it will be woven in properly, with the source recorded.