Clarence Johnson was born May 2, 1906, to Carl and Minnie Nordgaard Johnson at their farm home in Skandia Township. He was one of seven children; Gena, Leonard, Fredrick, Mayme, Clarence, Mabel and Bernice. Clarence and Mabel (Mrs. John Fewel of Litchville) are the only ones still living.

Clarence's father, Carl (1864-1952), came from Askim, Norway, and his mother, Minnie (1879-1959), was born in Lanesboro, Minnesota.

Alma Johnson was born on June 22, 1909, in Prairie Township, LaMoure County, to August and Elizabeth Pruess Gertz. She was the youngest of eleven children, and the only one born in the United States. Her mother (1866-1950) came from Old Prussia by boat with ten children. Her father had come two years earlier, and was a carpenter.

Clarence grew up and went to grade school in Skandia Township, District # 60, and later went to high school in Valley City. Alma attended grade school in Litchville Township, LaMoure County, and later attended high school in Hastings, North Dakota.

Clarence and Alma were married September 26, 1927, in Moorhead, Minnesota, and began farming in Skandia Township. In 1940, they purchased their farm home and resided there until October, 1975, when they moved to 429 Fourth Avenue Northwest in Valley City. During their farming years, they saw many changes in farming methods. They began their grain farming with horses. They also raised Hereford cattle. Clarence and Alma saw to the modernization of the farm buildings with the coming of electricity to rural communities.

Five children were born to Clarence and Alma. Three of them live in Valley City;

Clayton, with Soil Conservation,
Clarice (Mrs. Bernard Heckman), and
Merle, with Barnes County Implement.
Earl lives in Selma, Alabama, and is an engineer for CBS-TV station there.
Milton lives in Livonia, Michigan, and is with Ford Motor Company.

Clarence and Alma retired from active farming in 1968. Since that time their land was farmed by their son-in-law, Bernard Heckman.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 112