Charles A. Johnson

As printed in 1903

CHARLES A. JOHNSON. Charles A. Johnson, the father of the leading physician of Sigourney, Iowa, Dr. Johnson, was born May 8, 1825, at Yster, Sweden, a son of Peter and Boel Johnson, who passed their whole lives in that country and reared a family of eleven daughters and one son. At the age of sixteen years, this son left home and traveled from place to place, working at tailoring, through Sweden, Norway, Russia, England and France. After an absence of eight years he returned to the old home and for three years conducted a tailoring shop there, but he started then upon his travels again, which landed him in New York in September, 1851. He remained in this city until the following April and during this time met and was warmly welcomed by his famous cousin, the Swedish nightingale, Jenny Lind. From New York City he drifted to Albany, thence to Buffalo, Dunkirk, Detroit and then to Chicago, leaving the latter place hurriedly on account of the prevalence of cholera. For a short time he was at LaSalle, Illinois, and then remained for six months in Princeton, went then to Peoria, on to St. Louis, to Burlington and Fairfield, Iowa, and on May 24, 1854, located at Lancaster, Iowa, where he opened a tailoring establishment.

In September, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Thirteenth Iowa Infantry, and served his adopted country faithfully for three years and two months and is now an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1855 he married Mary Gray, who became the mother of eight children, and died in 1896. In 1900 he married Mrs. Eliza (Davenport) Roberts. Mr. Johnson has traveled over almost all of the west and has spent considerable time in Kansas and Colorado.

As printed in A genealogical and biographical history of Keokuk County, Iowa .. (1903). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.