Fri-11/17/00

Great Uncle Martin came to America in 1867 when he was 22 years old. He came to Belot, Wisconsin and worked on a farm. Sometime between then and 1871 he went to South Dakota and took up a claim. It must not have been what he wanted so he returned to Sioux City. He married Ingeborg (Isabel) ?? in September of 1871. If you look on your genealogy sheets you find an Ingeborg who was born in 1854, one of Great Grandma Johnson’s younger sisters. Do you think—no probably not. Shortly after marrying Isabel he went to work for the Northwestern Railway Co. He was Head Tracklayer at the time of the building of the railroad into Fremont, NE. and I assume he lived there until his death July 5, 1913 of heart failure. He had 2 sons, Edwin and Albert. At the time of his death, Edwin lived in Freemont, NE and Albert in Omaha, NE. Great Uncle Martin was the one who chose your American name of Johnson. I don’t know if the boys married and had family or not. Great Grand Dad Johnson (Even) Edwin William) came to the States the first time in the year of 1877on the ship “Angelo” at the age of 31 on March 8^th, leaving behind his wife Pauline, Ida, Lottie, Peter, and George on the Farm Nystuen under Skulhus. His destination was LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I assume he had relatives around there. I don’t believe it was Great Uncle Martin because he married Isabel in Sioux City, Iowa in 1871 and shows up next in Fremont, NE. He went back to Norway before April 1878 because Great Aunt Maggie was born on 26 Dec., 1878. I’m not sure what he came over for. He stayed on the farm I mentioned above until they traveled to Christanna (Oslo) in December right after Great Uncle Ed was born. Ed was born on 6 Dec., 1881. He is listed as ½ month old at the time of their departure in 1881. Their destination—Sioux City, Iowa. I’m making the assumption that Great Uncle Ed lived around there. He worked at the Rail Road Shop in Sioux City until 1884. While living in Sioux City, Mary was born on 11 Nov., 1883. In 1884 the family transferred to Missouri Valley, Iowa, then Sloane, Iowa and then landing in Stockham, NE in 1886. While living in Stockham Bessie was born 29 April, 1887, Great Aunt Belle was born 11 Dec., 1888. On 27 Nov., 1890 Great Aunt Ida married Jacob Druba and Great Aunt Sadie was born 4 Jan., 1893. All this happened while they were in Stockham NE. Some time in 1893 they transferred to Long Pine, NE for a short time then Ainsworth, NE then moved to Eli, NE in the same year. I wonder where they lived? All the family 11 total was at one place. Great Aunt Maggie met John Thomas Steele while in Eli and married him in 1895. Peter married Sallie C. Wickersham sometime around 1897. I have a telegram from him to Great Granddad Ed on 7 Dec., 1898, he living in Gordon, Ed in Merriman that their baby died at 1 pm. I’ve never asked Kathleen if there was a headstone indicating such or not. Also in 1899 there is a telegram to Great Granddad Ed from Great Uncle Martin their daughter Millie died on a Sunday evening. There is no date, but I bet in the plot where he and Isabel are she would be found also. I suspect Great Aunt Lottie went to stay at Great Uncle Martin’s and while there met Ora Ambrose Fitch. They were married in Fremont, NE on 9 April, 1900 and lived in and around Washington, NE for a period of years. (That’s a whole nother story.) Meanwhile Great Uncle George was courting Mary Julia Steele, they were married 5 days later on 14 Apr, 1900. Things kind of slowed down for a while but the Johnson’s were multiplying at a pretty good rate of speed. Then on 12 April, 1903 Eli came alive again Great Uncle Ed of Eli married Great Aunt Florella (Flora) Hathorn of Irwin, NE. In 1908 Great Aunt Mary and Great Uncle Lester Smith were married in Eli, NE. Note of interest: Mary died on 14 May, 1910 at Stockham, NE She and Lester had a baby boy named Ed. After her death Lester decided he either didn’t want or couldn’t take care of Ed, gave him to Great Aunt Ida and they raised him as their own. Grandmother Bessie also married in 1908 on the 3^rd of May to Herbert Alder both lived in Eli. Then Great Aunt Belle thought it was such a good idea to marry, she married Frank Rose on 28 June, 1908 at Great Granddad and Great Grandmother Johnson’s house in Eli. Things got quiet again and then on 24 March, 1913 Sadie married Wallace Ross. They had no children Sadie died in 1928 at Grand Island, NE. and is buried at the Merriman Cemetery in Merriman, NE. along side great Granddad and Great Grandmother Johnson. I’ll bet Eli was never the same after all the Johnson kids were married. That’s the story of the Johnson’s that I’m aware of at this time.

I have Great Grandfather Ed’s Norwegian bible he brought over with him. Its title is “Evangelic Portille” but what interests me are the names written in the front blank pages. They are very faintly readable as they are in pencil. It reads to start Eli, Nebraska – Edwin Johnson – March the 31, 1896. Then the following names appear: David D. Hanph? Can’t read last name, John C. Colham, Richard Johnson, George M. ??, ?? R.King, J.C. Brukenridge, ??chuz??erCafat, Henry Wilson, ?? Wheeler, Chas. A. Hendricks, Alfred Backdahl. None of them mean anything to me. You might ask Lois if she ever heard of them. Hendricks is no relation of mine that I know of.

Sat—11/18/2000

My finger still will hold a pencil so I’ll write some about Great Granddad’s siblings.

The oldest child Elisa didn’t come to “Amerika” as far as I’m aware. She married Lars ??. Elisa was born 7 August, 1837. They had 3 children, Johanna Marie, Ellen Olava (nickname-Olena), and Leonard. Johanna and Olena came over but brother Leonard stayed home. I’m not sure what year they arrived but they stayed with their Aunt Mary. I am told by Mary’s son Edwin Lunde. Edwin guessed they were 18 or 19 when they came to “Amerika” Johanna met and married Olaf Hansen at Sioux City, Iowa in 1885. Before Johanna died in 1899 at age 34 of cancer, she and Ole had 4 children, Lewis-1886, Ella-9 June, 1889, Anna Marie-21 Dec., 1893 and Minnie 9 Nov. 1895. Anna was the only person to marry but no children were born to any of them. As the cancer was sapping her life away Johanna asked Olena to marry Ole and care for her children after her death as the children was 13, 10,6, and 4 when she died. Olena agreed as did Ole. They married in the year of 1900 and had one son Edward Henry, who was born 16 June, 1902 in Sioux City, Iowa. Olena died 15 June, 1946 and I do no know when Ole died. Ole, Johanna and Olena are buried in a family plot at Floyd Cemetery, auxiliary section at Sioux City. Leonard Larsen their brother married Ilene Peddersdatter. They had one son, Edwin Henry born in 1900. He came to America in 1925 and stayed with Ole and Olena until he could speak English. He stayed in Sioux City and married a lady named Anna E ?? who was born in March, 1904. They had one boy named Leonard who was not married and living with Ed and Anna in Dec., 1987 when I corresponded with them. Ed was 87 and Anna 83 at that time.

Bergita (Betsy), son Ludwig (Louie) age 5 and her Mother Lisbet (Elizabeth our Great Great Grandmother) came to “Amerika” in 1870 or 1873. I’m not sure which one but lean towards 1870. I do not know who Louie’s father was. They landed in Sioux City Iowa. I’m assuming Great Uncle Martin was living in Sioux City at that time. She met Albert Berglund from Sweden in Sioux City and married him on 19 Nov. 1873. Albert was born 30 Dec, 1844 and came to “Amerika” in 1867. He was 5 years younger than Betsy. They moved to Newman Grove, NE before their children were born and lived there until their death. There were three children, Mina-28 June, 1875, Nora-3 March, 1877, and Oscar 30 March, 1879. Betsy and Albert are buried at the Rosehill Cemetery, Lot #33, of the Free Mission Lutheran Church, 12 miles North and 2 miles west of Newman Grove. Betsy died 7 October, 1913 and Albert ??. They have a Granddaughter still living in Newman Grove, daughter of Oscar, Ingrid Braberg.

Brothers Gulbrand 10 April, 1841 and Andreas 24 March, 1843 who both were born in Biri must have stayed there. They are not mentioned in the Johnson Reunion Song.

On 2 Feb., 1850 Gulbrand the 7^th child was born on the same farm all the previous children, Farm Overasen Overaasenie. He married in Norway to Lise (Lisa) ??.

Between 1850 and 1854 the family moved to Vardahl, Biri, Oppland where Mari (Mary) was born on 14 Dec., 1854. Mari was going to come to “Amerika” at the time Bergita and Mari’s Mother came over but one of her Aunts Olava was ill and she was asked to stay and care for her.

In June 1878 Gulbrand (Gilbert), Lise (Lisa), and Mari left Christianna (Olso) on the ship “Angelo”. Their final destination was Sioux City, Iowa.

Gilbert and Lisa had three children, Minnie whom her children say always was the one who kept the families getting together each year. Gena and June. I have visited with June who lived in Loveland, CO the last I knew.

Mary met Erik Lunde in Sioux City, Iowa. Erik was born on 8 Nov., 1851 in Borsen, Norway at the Lundene farm near Trondhjeim. They were married 15 Sept., 1883 at Sioux City, Iowa. They had three children, Lewis, Edwin and Lillian. I met Edwin in 1988 when he was 90 and still driving. He had nephews and nieces living in Texas but didn’t remember where.

In his possession was Great Great Grandmother Lisbet’s spinning wheel, which he stated his mother said that Lisbet made some very fine things. I don’t know anything about his brother and sister.

Erik died in 1933 and Mary in 1923. They are buried at Floyd Cemetery in the Johnson plot at Floyd Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa.

I forgot to mention that Gilbert, Lisa and daughter Minnie are buried in Omaha, NE.

I hope this information is interesting and useful to you. Presently that is about all the information I have on the Johnson Family. I realize its of people who are no longer with us except for the younger ones. I feel its all of our responsibility to find our relatives whom we don’t know. Otherwise what is the reason of the past if not to help us with the future and knowing who we came from.

That’s it for now!

Love ya Cousin