Sven August Johnson was born in Sweden on October 1, 1835. He was baptized and confirmed in Sweden. While he was still a young man, he went to Guldbrandsdalen, Norway, and there on July 12,1874, he married Berit Ingebritsdalen. On the following day, he and his wife left for America and came to Filmore County, Minnesota, residing there for six years. Leaving there, he came to Valley City. After living there for two years, a flash flood drove them from their home during the night. They then left for Sverdrup Township of Griggs County in 1883; homesteaded and established their first real home (a sod house) and later built a real home. This home is located about 2 1/2 miles north of the Union Church.
Journeying by oxen from Minnesota, the Fjelstad family accompanied the Johnsons. Mr. Johnson was a charter member of Union Church. To this family the following children were born: One son died in infancy; Emma (Mrs. Transon), Canon City, Colorado; Aletta (Mrs. Arnie Rers), Missoula, Montana; Janna (known as Jennie, Mrs. Charles Cederson), Hannaford, North Dakota; Anna (Mrs. Andrew Lura), Anaconda, Montana; Stina (Mrs. Olaf Sween), Ostrander, Minnesota.
Mrs. Johnson died at an early age, and was buried at Union Cemetery. Mr. Johnson and his girls continued to carry on at his farm home in Sverdrup until his retirement when he and his girls moved to Hannaford in 1907. He passed away November 2, 1923, at the age of 88 years. His remains are laid to rest at Union Cemetery.
Jennie told many incidents of early childhood. At the age of 15, her mother passed away. She and her four sisters and father carried on the responsibility of farm and home. Jennie walked to Cooperstown and back home, a distance of 13 miles, for confirmation lessons and carried a basket of eggs to sell, and buy groceries to carry home. The eggs brought 60 per dozen at that time.
To assist a doctor or midwife at a neighbors when a newcomer was expected, was an early experience for Jennie. Jennie recalled the time when Theodore Stone's eye was injured and he stopped at their home for water. Ted and his parents were en route to Cooperstown to a doctor.
Of the eight grades of school, Jennie quit at the end of the sixth to assist at home. Friends were Edna Johnson (Mrs. Oscar Ouren), Anna Forsberg (Mrs. Paul Troseth), Lottie Forsberg (Mrs. Gust Lind), the Kroogsgaard family, Amelia Fjelstad (Mrs. Conrad Kolberg), Anna Stai (Mrs. Henry Swingen), and many others.
Luxuries and gifts were few, love and togetherness was plentiful. A ruby ring and pin given by her father and her mother's bible (given to the mother in 1872), a high stemmed fruit bowl, mother's lefse rolling pin (from Norway), and her father's watch were about the only cherished possessions of Jennie when she passed away at the age of 94 1/2 years.
Source: Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page 168