Henry B. Johnson

Last updated 27 Sep 2023 in Spear–Johnson Family.

Individual

Born: 13 Apr 1865 in Rio, Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States

Died: 15 Jan 1930 in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota, United States

Father: Baard "Bill" Johnson (1828 – 1914)

Mother: Ingebord ____ (1825 – 1923)

Supporting evidence for: , , , ,

Family #1

Spouse/Partner: Caroline Anderson (1862 – 1906)

Married: 3 Jan 1893 in , , North Dakota, United States

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Family #2

Spouse/Partner: Betsy P. Peterson (1882 – 1964)

Married: 29 Feb 1908 in Carrington, Foster County, North Dakota, United States

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Child: Oscar H. Knudson (1902 – 1976)

Child: Harold K. Knudtson (1904 – 1948)

Child: Lewis B. Johnson (bet 1908/1909 – aft 1972)

Child: Olof Johnson (1911 – 1911)

Child: Evelyn Idella Johnson (1911 – 1991)

Child: Anna Mary "Tuts" Johnson (1912 – 1998)

Child: Raymond Burnett Johnson (1915 – 1992)

Child: George Oliver Johnson (1918 – 1991)

Child: Helen Pearl Johnson (1922 – 2018)

Miscellaneous Facts

Events

Burial: 18 Jan 1930 at Carrington, Foster County, North Dakota, United States

Cemetery: Kvernes Cemetery at Carrington, Foster County, North Dakota, United States

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Attributes

Residence: at Otsego, Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States

Residence: at , Eddy County, North Dakota, United States

Residence: at New Rockford, Eddy County, North Dakota, United States

Occupation: farmer

Residence: at Plainview Township, Eddy County, North Dakota, United States

Residence: at , Eddy County, North Dakota, United States

Occupation: farmer

Residence: at Pleasant Prarie Township, Eddy County, North Dakota, United States

Occupation: farmer

Residence: at Moorhead, Clay County, Minnesota, United States

Residence: at New Rockford, Eddy County, North Dakota, United States

Residence: at Moorhead, Clay County, Minnesota, United States

Residence: at Pleasant Prairie, Eddy County, North Dakota, United States

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General Notes and Anecdotes

Henry was one of the pioneers to Eddy County, North Dakota, moving there in April 1885. Their homestead was a few miles northwest of what is now Brantford. Over the years he increased his acreage to create one of the largest farms in the district at over 1200 (or 1600) acres. [obituary-henry-johnson-1930-nrt, obituary-henry-johnson-1930-fp]

Henry's family had a live-in servant, Jacob Dyness, in 1910. [census-us-1910-ps-nd-eddy-79-1a]

In 1916 he retired to a home in New Rockford, North Dakota, renting (or leasing) the farm to neighboring farmers, Christ Kuehn and his sons. Henry and his family then moved to a newly purchased home in Moorhead, which became his permanent home, though he did spend occasional summers back in Eddy County to manage the farm. His obituary describes the home in Moorhead as one of the most beautiful residences in the city, while an article about his passing notes that it cost $10,000. [obituary-henry-johnson-1930-nrt, obituary-henry-johnson-1930-fp]

In 1925, Henry and his three sons Oscar, Harold, and Louis, were included in the North Dakota census and living in Pleasant Prairie, Eddy County, ND. No other family members were listed. This may suggest that Henry and his sons were tending to the farm for the summer. [census-us-nd-1925-eddy-pleasantprairie-5]

In the Autumn of 1929, he sold some 1200 acres of the Eddy County farm to the Bergseth Fish Company of Fargo, leaving 480 acres to his family when he died. [obituary-henry-johnson-1930-fp]

Henry died in 1930 after a short illness, falling sick on a Sunday and passing away on Wednesday. [obituary-henry-johnson-1930-nrt]

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Research Notes (Conflicts/Spelling/Followup)

CONFLICTS

Birth Date: This database uses 13 Apr 1865. His obituary gives a year of 1866. [obituary-henry-johnson-1930-nrt]

Birth Date: This database uses 13 Apr 1865. His son Raymond's (delayed) birth certificate gives an age of (49), which, when applied to his son's birth date of 30 Oct 1915, gives Henry a birth date range from 31 Oct 1865 to 30 Oct 1866. [birth-raymond-johnson-1915]

Birth Date: This database uses 13 Apr 1865. The 1920 U.S. Census gives an age of (55), which, when applied to the official census date of 1 Jan 1920 gives a birth date range from 2 Jan 1864 to 1 Jan 1865. [census-us-1920-ps-mn-clay-43-6a]

Birth Date: This database uses 13 Apr 1865. The 1925 North Dakota Census gives an age of (60), which, when applied to the official census date of 1 Apr 1925, gives a birth date range from 2 Apr 1864 to 1 Apr 1865. [census-us-nd-1925-eddy-pleasantprairie-5]

Birth Date: This database uses 13 Apr 1865. A Lutheran registry with his marriage record gives an age of (28), which, when applied to the marriage date of 3 Jan 1893, gives a birth date range from 4 Jan 1864 to 3 Jan 1865. [religious-registry-ministerial-kvernes-nd-1884-50]

Birth Date: This database uses 13 Apr 1865. A Lutheran registry with his burial record gives an age of (65), which, when applied to his death date of 15 Jan 1930, gives a birth date range from 16 Jan 1864 to 15 Jan 1865. [religious-registry-ministerial-kvernes-nd-1884-58]

Birth Location: This database uses Columbia County. His son Raymond's birth certificate gives Columbus County as the birth location, but that county name has never existed. [birth-raymond-johnson-1915]

Residence (Apr 1886): This database uses Apr 1866. A newspaper story about his passing states that Henry moved to Eddy County in 1885. [obituary-henry-johnson-1930-fp]

Marriage Date (Caroline): This database uses 3 Jan 1893. A newspaper article about his passing states they were married in 1892. [obituary-henry-johnson-1930-fp]

Death Location: This database uses Fargo, North Dakota. A Lutheran registry indicates he died in Moorhead, Minn. (This may be due to the facts that he lived in Moorhead, just across the Red River from Fargo, that he died in a hospital in Fargo, and that he was buried in Branford, North Dakota.) [religious-registry-ministerial-kvernes-nd-1884-58]

Burial Date: This database uses 18 Jan 1930. The alternate deatch certificate for Henry indicates he was buried on 17 Jan 1930. However, this form is essentially a prediction, not a statement from the date of burial or after. [death-henry-johnson-alt-1930]

Burial Location: This database uses Kvernes Lutheran Church Cemetery in Carrington, North Dakota. His "Transportation of Corpse" form includes a copy of his death certificate, and notes his body was released for burial in, and given transit to, Brantford, Eddy County. The Kvernes cemetery is only a few miles from Brantford, so the assumption used by this database is that Brantford was the closest rail station and the form didn't make a distinction between burial in town and at another location a few miles away. [death-henry-johnson-alt-1930]

SPELLING

Given Name: This database uses Henry B. The 1880 U.S. Census uses Halstin. [census-us-1880-ps-wi-columbia-32-211]

Given Name: This database uses Henry B. The 1910 U.S. Census gives the misspelling Henrey for his first name. [census-us-1910-ps-nd-eddy-79-1a]

Given Name: This database uses Henry B. The 1920 U.S. Census gives a middle initial of V. [census-us-1920-ps-mn-clay-43-6a]

FOLLOWUP

There exist records for two land patents for a Henry B. Johnson in Eddy County, North Dakota. They are in the National Archives' North Dakota Land Patents Both were homestead patents in the 5th principal meridian, TWP 148N, RNG 065W. The first was granted 16 Nov 1893 for 160 acres (SEC 21, DOCID 7282). The second was granted 8 May 1896 for another 160 acres (SEC 22, DOCID 1309). Check with nara.gov for copies.

According to a certificate of death for Henry, he had lived in the city in which his death occured for one month. This seems to indicate he had lived in Moorhead, Minnesota for a month. However, his death technically occured in Fargo, North Dakota, where he clearly did not live. So is this month referring to his residence in Moorhead, not Fargo? Note that there is a space for the number of days, and he was under a doctor's care for only a day -- a physician saw him from 14 Jan to 15 Jan, and he passed away at 4:07am on the 15th. [death-henry-johnson-alt-1930]

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Sources

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