Esten Moen Johnson was born in Norway in 1845 and came to New York in 1865. He received his citizenship papers on May 10, 1892. Later he moved to Spring Valley, Wisconsin, where he married. They had two sons, John G. and Edward, also one stepdaughter. Mrs. Johnson passed away while the boys were still small. He came to Griggs County to homestead, bringing the children with him. (See homestead scene)
Esten M. Johnson passed away on his homestead, which is now the farm of Oscar Christopherson, on November 17, 1917, and is buried at Ringsaker.
His son, John married and homesteaded near Langdon, North Dakota and is also buried at Ringsaker. He had two sons, John A. and Martin, also one daughter.
Edward was married to Anetta Stromme in 1902. He homesteaded in Griggs County on the farm that now belongs to Severin Sola. He and his wife had ten children:
Walter, Eva, Edna, Mildred, Edgar, Jeanette, Evelyn, Doris, Norman who was in the United States Navy and spent some time in a veterans hospital, but is now deceased, and Adeline.
Edward passed away in August 1928, at the age of 56. Anetta died on March 18, 1959 at the age of 74.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 397