JOHNSON, Nils P. & Will families

JOHNSON, NORDEAN, BEST, WICKSON, WITTERS, GRAHAM, KINNY, FULMER, THOMPSON

Posted By: S. Ferrall (email)
Date: 10/17/2006 at 07:29:57

Nils Peter Johnson Family
by Graham Johnson

Nils Peter Johnson was born in Hishault, Sweden and immigrated to Britt, Iowa in 1863. After moving to several places in the north central States, and marrying another Swedish immigrant, Mary (Madsen) Nordean, he returned to Britt. Then he moved on to Washington and Oregon, and settled in the Okotoks district in 1909, with most of his family of ten.

He formed a partnership with two of his sons, Henry and William (Will). They bought land east of Okotoks, from John Cope Sr. and Raymond Children, and later rented an adjoining farm frm Charles C. (Bouquet) Davis. The first few years they cut wild hay in the Gladys Ridge district and fed cattle on contract.

In 1910 they bought a "Universal" 4-cylinder gas tractor and then they sold it to the Forckel brothers they replaced it with an "American Abel" steam tractor. This they used for threshing and plowing, and also some pipeline work until 1925 when it was taken over by Ben Teskey. It was last used in the district in the early '30s powering a crusher in the C.P.R. pit at Aldersyde.

His eldest daughter, Christina and her husband, Hugh Best, came to the Okotoks district with the rest of the family. They farmed along the Sheep River for several years and then returned to the States.

The three youngest children, Verna, Leon and Iona attended Allan School. Verna married Rupert Wickson who managed the local Bank of Montreal. Iona married Marsh Witters whose folks farmed just northwest of the school at one time.

The rest of the Johnsons -- Hilda, Joe, Lubena, and Alva -- lived in the district for a short time and moved on.

In 1919 Nils moved to Kinsella, Alberta and the partnership was dissolved.

Nils Peter Johnson died in 1925 in Viking, Alberta; and his widow Mary died in 1942 in Spokane. They both were buried in Okotoks.
_______
William H. (Will) Johnson
by Graham Johnson

Will Johnson was born in Britt, Iowa in 1886. He came to the Okotoks area in 1909. He farmed in partnership with his father, and brother Henry, until 1919, in various places in the district until he retired in 1946. He moved to Calgary in 1929 but returned to Okotoks in 1931. Will was a long time member of the Board of the Okotoks School District.

Will married Ellen Elizabeth Graham in 1919. Ellen was born in Earltown, Nova Scotia in 1885. She worked in Boston and came to DeWinton in 1915. Ellen moved from there to Calgary where she worked in the office of Lougheed and Bennett. She then came to Okotoks and worked as a milliner for Mrs. Metcalfe until her marriage. The had one son, William Graham Johnson. Ellen died in 1939.

Will married Hazel Kinny in 1943. Hazel was a former resident of Okotoks, she and her family had lived here in the '20s. Hazel died in 1948.

Will married Bertha Fulmer from Nova Scotia in 1948. She died in 1966.

He married Bess Thompson in 1967.

Will died in 1981 and is buried in Okotoks. His widow and son still live in Okotoks.

-source: A Century of Memories Okotoks and District; Calgary: Okotoks and District Historical Society, no date
pg. 329