from "​Double Cousins" by Ralph Hammersborg,  A Norwegian Family Chronicle, produced in 1996

Ralph Hammersborg had asked his Mother’s cousins to write about their lives.  The cousin's stories are taken from "Double Cousins by Ralph Hammersborg, A Norwegian Family Chronicle, produced in 1996.”   Birth dates of living relatives have been removed from the original text.

1889 - Johnie Martin Johnson
born January 8, 1889, died at age 58 on July 20, 1947.
Son of Helmer and Alfrida Johnson

Written in 1996 by Ralph Hammersborg.

Johnie was born in Eidsfjord, Sortland, Norway; inside the arctic circle, about as far north as Kotzebue, Alaska.  His father, Johan Martinunssen, died possibly just three weeks before he was born, while fishing.  His older sister, Oline and brother, Helmer, were placed in foster homes.  His mother remarried and raised five more children. Helmer and Johnie worked together as fishermen and coal miners.  It is said he worked in a mine at age eight.  They may have fished as far away as Novoya Zemiya, north of Russia.  

He followed his brother, Helmer, to the United States.  The family still has the "inspection card" from that trip.  The ship the "United States" left from Kristiania (Oslo) on April 22, 1910.  Johnie was 21.  He is listed on manifest number 25, line 21.  It was an eleven day crossing to Ellis Island.  

He first farmed with his brother in North Dakota.  He married Marie Susag on December 9, 1916 and they homesteaded in Montana.  The nearest town, Paris (between Glendive, Circle and Terry, near the Yellowstone River) no longer exists.  They first lived in a sod hut but later built a wooden frame house.  It was a tough life and they gave up and went back to family in North Dakota.  I am sure they looked at several options;  Johnnie D (nephew) tells of a story he heard of Helmer and Johnie in Alberta being turned back at the border with horses.  There are a lot of "could-haves" in everyone's life but we all "could have" been Canadians.  On a more humorous side.  I kiss the earth here in Western Washington every morning and thank God for that Montana failure - we could all still be there.

Something brought Johnie out to Washington State.  He got a job in a lumber mill in Blaine.  he sent for his young family and they came out by train.  They lived in Blaine and Ferndale.  The depression shut down a lot of the jobs.  He eventually went back to fishing.  He mysteriously drowned on July 20, 1947.

Much needs to be said for his life changing conversion.  It certainly effected drastically the generations to come after him.  He was saved in a tent meeting and his life was never the same again.  He and his family made up an orchestra and they played hymns that the memories of still delight those that were there.  Two of this sons and two of his grandsons are ministers of the gospel and in addition, most of his grandchildren are serving his Lord in one capacity or another.

Praise the Lord!

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Same links as the Home page

Johnson Family (home)  - Kinstories (home)  -  Susag Family  -  Flatau Family  -  Beckman Family
Granquist Family  -  Anderson Family  -  Stout Family  -  Walker Family  -  Peterson Family  -  Morris Family  - Cauble Family