Karl (Charlie) JOHNSON

Notes:

Ida and her husband moved to Preeceville, Saskatchewan, in 1910. Charley Lundberg homesteaded in Naicam, Saskatchewan in 1910 but he also had land in Preeceville, Saskatchewan so he may have gone back and forth.

Charlie Johnson was of Norwegian extraction. He and his brother-in-law, Ole Peterson, were first cousins.

In the 1911 census, he is Charles Johnson, 36 (Sept 1874), farming in the Mackenzie district of Saskatchewan. His family includes Ida, 26 (Feb 1885, born in Sweden), Bessie, 10 (Dec 1900), Emil, 7 (June 1903), Walter, 6 (Nov 1904), and Alice, 4 (Feb 1907). The family is Lutheran and came to Canada in 1910. All of the children were born in the U.S.A although they are now of Canadian nationality. Their parents, however, are “American.”

Karl married Ida Marie LUNDBERG on 24 Aug 1900 in Barton, Pierce County, North Dakota. Ida (daughter of Carl Gustaf (Charley) LUNDBERG and Britta Maria (Mary Or Mare) SVENSDOTTER) was born on 28 Feb 1885 in Cannon Falls, Goodhue County, Minnesota; died on 3 Jun 1962 in Preeceville, Saskatchewan, Canada; was buried in Preeceville, Saskatchewan, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Confirmation: 18 Nov 1915, Ketchen Lutheran Church, Ketchen, Saskatchewan, Canada

Notes:

Betsy said that she was born in 1900.

Lived in the Preeceville area of eastern Saskatchewan.

Betsy had seven boys and one girl. Terry J. says that he has the names and some phone numbers of all of Betsy’s children.

Ida Deiters’s estate settlement papers show a reimbursement of $10 paid to “Mrs. Betsy Carlson in Canada” for obtaining two death certificates. The date was December 15, 1964.

Betsy wrote this entry on her parents’ family for “Lines of the Past”, the local history book put out by the Preeceville Historical Society in 1982.

My parents came from Barton, North Dakota. Father was of Norwegian descent and mother was Swedish. They came to claim a homestead in the southeast quarter of Section 14 in the year of 1910. There were four children: myself (Betsy), Alice, Emery, and Walter. We were all born in the States and we all attended Robinson Creek School.

Father drove oxen for a couple of years. He also worked out when work was available. He trapped fur-bearing animals in the winter and later on he herded cattle for several farmers. This all brought in extra money for improving the farm and building a house and other buildings for livestock and poultry.

Once a month, a trip would be made to the closest store, which was in Buchanan. Word would go around that a neighbor was going to Buchanan. The farmer going to purchase groceries, etc., would have several orders to bring back.

Wild fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, currants, cranberries, and chokecherries were plentiful. Mother canned without adding sugar and we often ate the fruit without sweetening.

Mother was a very thrifty homemaker. Soap was scarce in our household; mother used wood ashes in the wash water. This saved soap and was also very helpful in removing heavy soil from father’s and brothers’ work clothes.

Mother spun and carded wool and knit socks and mitts and often sweaters for the family and she sewed a lot of clothes.

I remember I wanted a new dress so bad for a fair day in Preeceville. Father did not have the money but I was determined to have a new dress so I went out and dug seneca root, took it to town, and sold it in the green state. I bought material and mother sewed me a dress.

Mother acted as midwife often in the neighbourhood. In 1927 a neighbour came to get her for this purpose. While she was getting into the buggy the horses became frightened and overpowered the driver. They ran at a breakneck speed down the road before the driver was in control again. Mother was hurt quite bad and could not walk for days. But, nevertheless, she attended the birth of the child even though she was in agony. She suffered for years with an injured knee cap. That baby boy born that September night in 1927 was Orval Nordtweten.

The flies and mosquitoes were terrible in those early years. Big smudges had to be built every night for the animals to give them rest and relief from the bites and stings.

There were house parties. There was no booze at these parties. Everyone had a good time dancing ‘till daybreak.

When I was 11 years old, I had rheumatic fever. Mother treated me with homemade remedies and cured me. Walter and Emery were sick too but they were worse and did not respond to mother’s treatment. They were taken to the Canora hospital.

Mother passed away in 1963 from a heart attack at the age of 79. Father died in April, 1966. They are buried in Preeceville cemetery.

I (Betsy) was born in 1900. I married Olaf Carlson in 1918. We moved to Hassan. (More about my family in Olaf Carlson history.)

Sister Alice, the youngest, was born in 1907 and married Grant Halvorson in 1926. Alice stayed home and helped until her marriage. The family lived on a farm in the Rockford district for several years then moved to Quesnel, B.C. Grant worked in the lumbering industry and Alice took care of welfare children for 12 years. Alice and Grant have four children: Teddy, Walter, Lila, and Betty.

Brother Emery was born in 1903. He worked out most of the time after leaving school. He married Myrtle Hanson in 1924. They lived in the Robinson Creek district for several years and also farmed in the Ketchen area for some years. They had one daughter, Lila. The family moved to Quesnel, B.C., in the 1950s. Emery’s wife died in August, 1969.

Brother Walter was born in 1905 and grew up to be a superb dancer. Like his brother Emery, he loved horses. He was killed in a freak accident in 1939 when the truck he was riding in hit a rack pulled by a tractor. A piece of the 2x4 lumber crashed through the windshield and struck Walter. He died just a few hours later. Walter was married to Violet Hanson. Their only child died at birth in 1935.

Betsy married Olaf CARLSON on 14 Dec 1918 in Preeceville, Saskatchewan, Canada. Olaf was born on 27 Sep 1893 in Summit, Roberts County, South Dakota; died on 28 Jul 1960. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Betsy says of her brother: “He worked out most of the time after leaving school. He married Myrtle Hanson in 1924 and the lived in the Robinson district for several years and also farmed in the Ketchen area for some years. The family moved to Quesnel, B.C. in the 1950s.”

Emery married Myrtle HANSON in 1924. Myrtle was born in 1906; died in Aug 1969 in Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Betsy says: “Walter grew up to be a superb dancer and, like his brother Emery, he loved horses. He was killed in a freak accident in 1939 when the truck he was riding in hit a rack pulled by a tractor. A piece of 2x4 lumber crashed through the windshield and struck Walter. He died just a few hours later.”

Family/Spouse: Violet HANSON. Violet was born in 1919; died in Aug 1969. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Betsy says of her sister: “The family lived in Rockford district for several years then moved to Quesnel, B.C. Grant worked in the lumbering industry and Alice took care of welfare children for 12 years.”

Died:
at least one source says March of 1997

Alice married Grant Louis HALVERSON in 1926. Grant was born on 28 Sep 1904 in Medford, Taylor County, Wisconsin; died on 4 Nov 1994. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Served in Europe in World War II.

Chester married I. OFTEBRO [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

A.W. married B.R. THOMPSON [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Virgil married M.K. MICHALUK [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elmer married L.M. ROSENKERR (ROSENKJAER) [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
died of cancer

Ida married Ralph Charles LEE on 30 Jun 1952. Ralph was born on 25 Jun 1919; died on 24 Jul 2001. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died in a car accident.

Notes:

Emery’s only child according to Betsy.

Family/Spouse: Calvin NELSON. Calvin died in Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Alisia COOK. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Walter married E. JOHNSON [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]