HELMER AND JOHNNIE

AS TOLD BY WALT JOHNSON AND CECELIA HAGLUND

In the Beginning

Brothers Helmer and Johnnie Johnson grew up in Norway during the 1890’s. Their

parents were Johan Andrias Oshoug Martinson and Jakobine Antonsdatter. They had

an older sister Oline who was born in 1885. Helmer Marcelius Sevald was born June

28, 1886 in Hadsel of Vesteraalen, Norway and three years later brother Johan

(Johnnie) Martin was born on January 8, 1889. Helmer and Johnnie grew up not

knowing their real father as Johan died the same year Johnnie was born in 1889.

Their father had been out fishing when a terrible pain came over him and he was

taken to a hospital near Vesteraalen. He died days later from peritonitis. (Peritonitis

is a bacterial or fungal infection of the peritoneum, a silk-like membrane that lines

the inner abdominal wall and covers the organs within the abdomen.)

A Step Family

Later, their mother, Jakobine married Jo-

han Johansen and five more children be-

came part of the family. The first child

was a girl, Jenny, who eventually married

and had eleven children. The second

child, Almar (Elmer), died as a young

boy. Elfrida grew up and moved to New

York where she married, but had no chil-

dren. Margeth (Margit) was the fifth

child. She stayed in Norway and married

Herman Gunderson. When Helmer and

Johnnie were young children, the family

moved to Valfjord, Norway where the

boys spent their youth.

Norway—the area in red is

Vesteraalen, Norway

Helmer

In 1907 Helmer left Norway. He was 21 years old. He boarded a ship to the

United States. He went directly to stay with this Aunt Sophie Bentson who lived in

Lake Park, Minnesota. Sophie was Johan Martinson’s half sister. The Bentson’s

eventually moved to Plentywood, Montana where a group of relatives currently re-

side. Helmer worked for the railroad after arriving in Lake Park, MN. Helmer had

become good friends with a man the same age by the name of Gulstad. The

Gulstad family lived next door to the David Susag family. The Gulstads along with

Helmer and Johnnie visited often with the Susags at their Franklin Place near Lake

Franklin, MN.

Johnnie

Johnnie went to Sweden in his late teens to work in the ore mines in Sulitjel-

ma, Sweden. About 1911 when Johnnie was 22 years old, he returned to Valfjord,

Norway to board a ship that took him to the United States where he moved in with

his brother Helmer. His Aunt Sophie sponsored Johnnie to come to the United

States as she had done for Helmer.

Norwegian Migrants

During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, more than 600,000 Norwegians mi-

grated to the United States in search of better job opportunities. No other country

except Ireland has provided the United States with so many immigrants in propor-

tion to population.

ALFRIDA AND MARIE

AS TOLD BY WALT JOHNSON AND CECELIA HAGLUND

David Susag

Alfrida and Marie were sisters. Their fa-

ther was David Susag. David grew up in Namsos,

Norway. He was born January 30th 1866. In

1888 when he was 22 years old he left Norway to

move to the United States to the Rutland/ Aber-

crombie, North Dakota area. At this time Aber-

crombie was known as Fort Abercrombie. David

borrowed money from his brother John to spon-

sor his childhood sweetheart, Julianna, in her

journey to America. In 1890 when David was 24

years old he married Julianna Michaelson

(Mikkelson). Julianna was the only one from her

family to come to America.

America

In 1891 their first son, Sigard, was born. Three years later Alfrida Ingmarine

was born on January 26th, 1984. When Alfrida was three a baby sister named Marie

was born on November 30th, 1896. The family continued to grow with Josephine in

1898, Alfred in 1901, Deline in 1903, Emelie in 1905 and Ragna born in 1907. The

family moved to Minnesota in the early 1900s and homesteaded the Franklin Place.

North Dakota

Alfrida was about 13 years old when Helmer Johnson first visited the Susags at

the Franklin Place with his friend, Gulstad. Lake Park was about 20 miles away, so the

meetings were few and far between.

About 1910 Helmer had quit his job at the railroad and had gone to North Da-

kota to work and help with the wheat harvesting. This proved very profitable as

Helmer was soon renting a farm of his own. He had procured four horses, some ma-

chinery and he planted wheat. These were the boom days. It was easy to get start-

ed. Especially when people helped each other.

Norway—the area in red is

Namsos, Norway

Two Brothers Marry Two Sisters

When Sigard Susag, Alfrida and Marie’s older brother, was 20 years old, he

went to North Dakota to haul grain for the 25 year old Helmer Johnson. Johnnie

also lived and worked with Helmer off and on in North Dakota.

Alfrida’s mother suggested that she go help those bachelors in North Dakota

and soon Alfrida was cooking for the group. A short time after that, Alfrida and

Helmer were married in Cooperstown, North Dakota. The date was August 1st,

1912. Alfrida was 18 years old.

When Helmer and Alfrida’s second child was born in 1914, 18 year old, Marie

went to help her sister. Johnnie was also living in North Dakota at the time. Marie

had known of Johnnie for many years and on December 9, 1916, they were married

in Cooperstown, North Dakota. Thus was the beginning of reunions many years lat-

er when the first cousins would get together. That was the result of two brothers

marrying two sisters.

Note from Kristin: I remember what Marie and Johnnie’s daughter Marian

(Sundholm) Ahlverts said at a family reunion in the 1980’s, “Did you know that your

Dad and I have the same first cousins while you have first cousins from your Mom’s

side and other’s from your Dad’s side?”

December 2002. This information was gathered during a visit at Harold

and Cecelia Haglund’s. Notes were taken by Kristin (Granquist) Peterson of conver-

sations of Walt and Vi Johnson and Harold and Cecelia Haglund. Dates were later

added from records of Vi and Walt Johnson