Chris Johnson

JOHNSON, JOHANSON, CHRISTIANSON, ANDERSEN

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 2/16/2011 at 17:28:15

Chris Johnson, a retired farmer living in Ringsted, has taken a prominent part in public affairs here ever since his removal to the town and now acceptably filling the office of mayor. He was born in Denmark, May 7, 1859, and is a son of Johan and Magdalina (Christianson) Johanson. The father was a laborer and was a lifelong resident of Denmark, as was his wife. They were the parents of nine children, of whom four died in infancy.

When only seven years of age Chris Johnson began working for farmers but was allowed the privilege of attending school until he was fourteen years old. In 1881, when twenty-two years old, he came to the United States and made his way to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he was employed for seven years by the Northwestern Railway Company. He saved sufficient money to enable him to buy eighty acres on section 36, Denmark township, in 1883 and four years later took up his residence upon the place, which he improved and brought to a high state of development the years passed. He resided there until the fall of 1909, when he sold place and removed to eight acres adjoining the town of Ringsted, where he now makes his home. He supervises its operation but the actual is done by hired help.

On the 26th of May, 1886, occurred the marriage of Mr. Johnson and Miss Anna C. Andersen, a daughter of Anders Jorgen and Marie (Hanibalsen) Pallesen, who passed away in Denmark. Mr. Johnson was justice of the peace for twenty-two years, township trustee for three years and a member of the school board for thirteen years, twelve years that period being consecutive, and was on the committee which established the library in the Ringsted schools. He was one of those who gave generously to the fund for providing books for the library and has never ceased to take an interest in its growth. He has held other offices as for two years he was road supervisor and has twice been United States census taker, while he is now mayor of Ringsted, in which capacity he is doing valuable work for the advancement of the town. He is one of the leading republicans of the county and for a long period was township committeeman. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in St. John's Danish Lutheran church. His boyhood and youth were characterized by hard and unremitting work and in his efforts to gain a living he received no aid from outside sources, but he proved equal to the demands made upon him and as the years passed his resources increased so that he now has more than a competence.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.