The Johnson Families of Lyon County, Minnesota

JOHN H. JOHNSON (1897) is a farmer of Shelburne township. He and his lSKMJWAI'lIM'AL HISTORY brother-in-law, Dan Hasbargen, own 360 acres of land in that precinct and they farm the entire tract. They are successful farmers and are rated among the substantial men of southwestern Lyon county.

Near the city of Peoria, Illinois, on March 23, 1867, John H. Johnson first saw the light of day. When he was yet a baby the family moved to Danforth, Iroquois county, and there John grew to manhood. Until he became of age he worked on his father's farm, and then for a year or two he worked for other farmers in the vicinity. Mr. Johnson then engaged in farming for himself, which he followed in Illinois until coming to Lyon county in

Mr. Johnson came to the county with Dan Hasbargen and the two have ever since been partners in their farming operations. They planted the grove on the farm and made all the improvements on the place. Mr. Johnson has not married and makes his home with his partner. He bas served as road overseer of his district.

The parents of our subject were Henry and Annie (Gertis) Johnson. They were born in Germany and for many years were residents of Illinois. They moved to Lyon county in 18 93, purchased the south half of section 2 5, Shelburne township, and resided there until their deaths. The mother died in the fall of 1895, the father about 1901. There are seven living children in the family, named as follows: John H., Paul H., Christ, George, Rachael (Mrs. Dan Hasbargen), Onno and Mary (Mrs. Albert Loats). Another son, Henry Johnson, died in August, 1910, at the age of twenty-eight years.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE H. JOHNSON (1893) owns and farms the southeast quarter of section 19, Rock Lake township. He raises considerable stock and during the fall seasons he operates a threshing rig in his part of the county. He is a shareholder and one of the directors of the Farmers Elevator Company of Balaton.

George Johnson's parents came from Iroquois county, Illinois. His father, Henry H. Johnson, moved to this county in 1891 and settled in Shelburne township, on the south half of section 25. The mother and the rest of the family came in

Our subject was born in Iroquois county, Illinois, January 14, 1875. He received his early education in his native state and worked on his father's farm. He was eighteen years old when the mother and her children came to Lyon county in 18 93 to join the father, who had preceded them two years. George helped his father on the farm and worked out for others until 1901, when he purchased the farm which he now owns and started farming for himself.

Mr. Johnson was married February 2 6, 1908, to Myrtle Blanchard, a native of Clear Lake, Iowa. The wedding occurred at Marshall. Mrs. Johnson was born March 31, 1888, and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Blanchard, now residents of Balaton. Her father is a native of Wisconsin and her mother was brought up in Iowa. Our subject's father, Henry Johnson, died in 1901, and his mother, Annie (Gerdes) Johnson, died in 1895.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

(1878) is the widow of Charles A. Johnson. She has lived in Lyon county thirty-four years and resides on the old homestead, the northwest quarter of section 2, Coon Creek township.

Mrs. Johnson was.born in Vallers, Norway, September 28, 1850, the daughter of Nels and Mary (Olson) Nelson, both of whom died in this country. Miss Betsey Nelson attended school in her native country until sixteen years of age and then, in 1866, accompanied her parents to America. The family located in Winona county, Minnesota, and there two years later Miss Nelson became the wife of Charles A. Johnson, the date of the marriage being October 22, 1868.

Charles A. Johnson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, May 4, 1840. At the age of twelve years he came to America, spent two years in Chicago, and then until the outbreak of the war resided in Winona county, Minnesota. He enlisted in 1861 in the First Minnesota Light Artillery and served three years and nine months in the service. After the war Mr. Johnson again settled in Winona county, bought land there, and farmer until moving to Lyon county in 1878. He took a homestead in Coon Creek township and engaged in farming continuously until his' death on July 25, 1908.

Since the death of her husband Mrs. Johnson has made his home on the farm, which is conducted by her sons, Carl and Harry. They raise Jersey and Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. The family owns 250 acres of land in Coon Creek. Mrs. Johnson has stock in the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company.

Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, as follows: Mary Ann, born September 14, 1869; Emma, born May 25, 1872, died May 11, 1908; Lillie, born February 19, 1878; John, born December 17, 1880; Carl, born February 20, 1885; Oscar, born May 8, 1886, died May 10, 1901; Harry, born March 24, 1892.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

NELS P. JOHNSON (1892) is a farmer and land owner of Coon Creek township. He was born in Denmark October 27, 1863, a son of Jens and Margaret (Anderson) Olson. He grew to manhood and received his education in the land of his birth and when nineteen years old immigrated to America. He located in Cook county, Illinois, where he worked a short time in a stone quarry and six years on a dairy farm.

In 1892 Mr. Johnson came to Lyon county and rented land east of Russell four years. He then purchased 120 acres on section 36, Coon Creek township, which he still owns and operates. He raises considerable stock, including Durham cattle and Poland China and Duroc-Jersey hogs. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Masonic and Workmen lodges. He was chairman of the school board of district No. 92 six years and has served on the Township Board three years.

Mr. Johnson was married in Chicago July 10, 1888, to Marie J. Jergenson. She is a native of Denmark, a daughter of Nels and

Maria (Jacobson) Jergenson, and was born July 16, 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are the parents of the following named five children: Nils Alfred, born October 30, 1889; Louis J., born November 29, 1891; George C, born March 7, 1893; Cecilia M., born March 6, 1895; Etlar A., born April 9, 1902.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

CHRIST JOHNSON (1892) is the owner of 240 acres of land on section 2 5, Lyons township, and is one of the prosperous farmers of the precinct. He has lived in the county twenty years.

Mr. Johnson was born in Denmark February 24, 1871, the son of Jens and Margretta (Anderson) Olson. When eighteen years of age he came to America with his brother, Andrew, worked in a stone quarry at Joliet, Illinois, one year and then became a resident of Lemont, Illinois. He spent two years working on the Chicago drainage canal and in 1892 came to Lyon county.

Upon his arrival Mr. Johnson bought an eighty-acre farm on section 31, Sodus, farmer it four years, and then traded for a 160-acre farm on section 25, Lyons, where he has since lived. Later he bought another eighty acres adjoining and now has a fine farm of 240 acres. Mr. Johnson has served three years as a member of the Township Board of Supervisors.

The marriage of Mr. Johnson to Margaret M. Neill occurred in Sodus township on July 29, 1897. Mrs. Johnson was born in Sodus township on April 9, 1874, and is the daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (Marshall) Neill, of Marshall. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have three children: Vera M., born February 18, 1900; Dwight N., born September 12, 1903; Alice H., born March 6, 1905.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS U. JOHNSON (1886), a farmer of Amiret township, is the owner of the south half of the northeast quarter of section 24.

He was born and brought up in England, having been born in 1845. He is the son of Robert and Jane Johnson, who were farmers, and they gave their son his bringing up and his education in the country schools in England. At the early age of fifteen Thomas began to learn the stone mason's trade, and he was employed at that work most of the time until coming to the United States in

That year Mr. Johnson came to this country and found employment at his trade in Pennsylvania, where he remained four years. He then moved to Lyon county and decided to farm. Accordingly he bought a tree claim right to the south half of the northeast quarter of section 24, Amiret township, which he later changed to a homestead. On that place he has since resided, with the exception of a few years spent in Tracy and other parts of the county, working at his former trade.

Thomas U. Johnson was married in England to Margrette Charlton. To this union five children have been born, named Robert, Annie, Thomas, Margretti and Rachel.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

SOLOMON JOHNSON (1894) owns the southwest quarter of section 16, Shelburne township, a short distance east of Florence. He has resided on that farm only one year, but he has' been a resident of Lyon county eighteen years.

Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden September 7, 1859. After securing his education he learned the cabinet maker's trade and continued to reside in his native country until twenty years of age. He came to the United States in 1879 and his first home in the New World was at Lockport, Illinois. After a short residence there he moved to South Bend, Indiana, and for a year was employed in the Studebaker shops.

We next find Mr. Johnson in Pullman, Illinois, where for ten years he worked at his trade in the shops of the Pullman Car Company. The next three years were spent in the shops of the Wagner Car Company in Buffalo, New York, and one year in a shop in Minneapolis. Mr. Johnson gave up his trade in 1894 and turned farmer. He bought land in Coon Creek township and engaged in farming it until 1911, when he purchased and moved to his present farm.

During fifteen years of his residence in Coon Creek township Mr. Johnson was a member of the school board of district No. 56. He is a member of the Swedish Mission church and for fifteen years was superintendent of the Sunday School in Coon Creek.

Solomon Johnson is the son of J. N. and Marie (Orn) Johnson, who came from the old country in 1889. The father now resides with his son; the mother died March 6, 1912. There are five children in the family.

Mary, John, Solomon, Hattie and namely: Manda.

Mr. Johnson's first marriage occurred im Minneapolis June 24, 18S4, when he wedded Hilda Swanson. She died in Buffalo, Now York, December 4, 1891. Three children were born to the union: Elmer, who is deceased, Edla and Leonard. The second marriage of Mr. Johnson occurred in Marshall July 16, 1897, and his bride was Augusta Larson. They have four children, named Arnold, Winnie, Myrtle and Lilly.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN JOHNSON (187 6) has spent the entire thirty-six years of his life in Lyon county. He owns the southeast quarter of section 5, Westerheim township, has made all the improvements on that place, and has a fine home. He was born in Nordland township August 21, 187 6, and after growing to manhood bought his farm and engaged in business for himself.

Jens B. and Annie (Kittleson) Johnson, his parents, live on the old homestead on section 2, Nordland. They came from Norway early in life and were married in Wisconsin. Later they lived in Goodhue county, Minnesota, a short time, a few years in Yellow Medicine county, and in 1876 they bought a homestead right in Nordland township and have resided there ever since. There are six children in the family, as follows: Bessie (Mrs. H. B. Nelson), of South Dakota; Mary, Sina (Mrs. John Wahl), of South Dakota; Annie, John, of this review; and Gilbert, of Eidsvold township.

John Johnson was married at Canby May 1, 1901, to Bessie Julia Severson. She was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, and is a daughter of Anton Severson, who has lived in Yellow Medicine county the past twenty years. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have two children, Alice S. and Gladys J. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Minneota and Mr. Johnson has been a member of the school board of district No. 80 for the past four years.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ANDREW JOHNSON (1902) is manager of the Laird-Norton Yards at Balaton and has been a resident of that village ten years. Sweden is the country of his nativity and he was born October 10, 1873. He came to

America in 1892 and has ever since lived in Minnesota.

Mr. Johnson located at Stewartville, Olmsted county. Near that place he engaged in farming for a number of years, and for three years he worked in a lumber yard in the village. He moved to Balaton in 1902, worked in the Hayes-Lucas yard until 1907, and then accepted the position of manager of the Laird-Norton Yards, which he has since held.

The company for which Mr. Johnson works was the first to engage in the lumber business in Balaton. It was established as the Laird-Norton Company, Incorporated, in 1855 and changed to its present title in 1900. The general offices are at Winona and the officers are M. G. Norton, president; F. A. Thatcher, vice president; F. S. Bell, secretary and treasurer; O. M. Batchford, manager. The company has 110 yards in South Dakota and Minnesota and deals in all kinds of building material, coal, etc.

Mr. Johnson was married at Balaton December 29, 1910, to Nora S. Sorenson, a native of Illinois. They have recently erected a fine home in the village. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Modern Woodmen and Workmen lodges.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ELMER JOHNSON (1906). One of the young farmers of Coon Creek township is Elmer Johnson, who has resided in Lyon county the past six years. He is a native of Iowa and was born in Pocahontas county September 27, 1884, a son of Moody and Matilda Johnson, the former a native of Sweden and the latter of Norway.

Our subject resided with his parents in Iowa, attending school and assisting his father on the farm, until 1906, when he came to Lyon county. The first year in Lyon county was spent working at farm labor, after which he rented land near Florence for two years. He then rented the farm he now operates, the southwest quarter of section 33, Coon Creek township. Besides general farming, he raises a great number of cattle and hogs.

At Pipestone, Minnesota, February 15. 1906, Mr. Johnson was married to Ida Johnson, a native of Murray county and a daughter of Nels and Carline (Larson) Johnson, both natives of Sweden. Mrs. Elmer Johnson was born August 16, 1887. To this union have been born two children: [name withheld], born March 25, 1907; [name withheld], born June 5, 1908.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.