Helmer and Johnnie Johnson meet Alfrida and Marie Susag

1. HELMER AND JOHNNIE
AS TOLD BY WALT JOHNSON AND CECELIA HAGLUND
In the Beginning
Brothers Helmer and Johnnie Johnson grew up in Norway during the 1890’s. Their
parents were Johan Andrias Oshoug Martinson and Jakobine Antonsdatter. They had
an older sister Oline who was born in 1885. Helmer Marcelius Sevald was born June
28, 1886 in Hadsel of Vesteraalen, Norway and three years later brother Johan
(Johnnie) Martin was born on January 8, 1889. Helmer and Johnnie grew up not
knowing their real father as Johan died the same year Johnnie was born in 1889.
Their father had been out fishing when a terrible pain came over him and he was
taken to a hospital near Vesteraalen. He died days later from peritonitis. (Peritonitis
is a bacterial or fungal infection of the peritoneum, a silk-like membrane that lines
the inner abdominal wall and covers the organs within the abdomen.)
A Step Family
Later, their mother, Jakobine married Jo-
han Johansen and five more children be-
came part of the family. The first child
was a girl, Jenny, who eventually married
and had eleven children. The second
child, Almar (Elmer), died as a young
boy. Elfrida grew up and moved to New
York where she married, but had no chil-
Norway—the area in red is
dren. Margeth (Margit) was the fifth Vesteraalen, Norway
child. She stayed in Norway and married
Herman Gunderson. When Helmer and
Johnnie were young children, the family
moved to Valfjord, Norway where the
boys spent their youth.

2. Helmer
In 1907 Helmer left Norway. He was 21 years old. He boarded a ship to the
United States. He went directly to stay with this Aunt Sophie Bentson who lived in
Lake Park, Minnesota. Sophie was Johan Martinson’s half sister. The Bentson’s
eventually moved to Plentywood, Montana where a group of relatives currently re-
side. Helmer worked for the railroad after arriving in Lake Park, MN. Helmer had
become good friends with a man the same age by the name of Gulstad. The
Gulstad family lived next door to the David Susag family. The Gulstads along with
Helmer and Johnnie visited often with the Susags at their Franklin Place near Lake
Franklin, MN.
Johnnie
Johnnie went to Sweden in his late teens to work in the ore mines in Sulitjel-
ma, Sweden. About 1911 when Johnnie was 22 years old, he returned to Valfjord,
Norway to board a ship that took him to the United States where he moved in with
his brother Helmer. His Aunt Sophie sponsored Johnnie to come to the United
States as she had done for Helmer.
Norwegian Migrants
During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, more than 600,000 Norwegians mi-
grated to the United States in search of better job opportunities. No other country
except Ireland has provided the United States with so many immigrants in propor-
tion to population.

3. ALFRIDA AND MARIE
AS TOLD BY WALT JOHNSON AND CECELIA HAGLUND
David Susag
Alfrida and Marie were sisters. Their fa-
ther was David Susag. David grew up in Namsos,
Norway. He was born January 30th 1866. In
1888 when he was 22 years old he left Norway to
move to the United States to the Rutland/ Aber-
crombie, North Dakota area. At this time Aber-
crombie was known as Fort Abercrombie. David
Norway—the area in red is
borrowed money from his brother John to spon-
Namsos, Norway
sor his childhood sweetheart, Julianna, in her
journey to America. In 1890 when David was 24
years old he married Julianna Michaelson
(Mikkelson). Julianna was the only one from her
family to come to America.
America
In 1891 their first son, Sigard, was born. Three years later Alfrida Ingmarine
was born on January 26th, 1984. When Alfrida was three a baby sister named Marie
was born on November 30th, 1896. The family continued to grow with Josephine in
1898, Alfred in 1901, Deline in 1903, Emelie in 1905 and Ragna born in 1907. The
family moved to Minnesota in the early 1900s and homesteaded the Franklin Place.
North Dakota
Alfrida was about 13 years old when Helmer Johnson first visited the Susags at
the Franklin Place with his friend, Gulstad. Lake Park was about 20 miles away, so the
meetings were few and far between.
About 1910 Helmer had quit his job at the railroad and had gone to North Da-
kota to work and help with the wheat harvesting. This proved very profitable as
Helmer was soon renting a farm of his own. He had procured four horses, some ma-
chinery and he planted wheat. These were the boom days. It was easy to get start-
ed. Especially when people helped each other.

4. Two Brothers Marry Two Sisters
When Sigard Susag, Alfrida and Marie’s older brother, was 20 years old, he
went to North Dakota to haul grain for the 25 year old Helmer Johnson. Johnnie
also lived and worked with Helmer off and on in North Dakota.
Alfrida’s mother suggested that she go help those bachelors in North Dakota
and soon Alfrida was cooking for the group. A short time after that, Alfrida and
Helmer were married in Cooperstown, North Dakota. The date was August 1st,
1912. Alfrida was 18 years old.
When Helmer and Alfrida’s second child was born in 1914, 18 year old, Marie
went to help her sister. Johnnie was also living in North Dakota at the time. Marie
had known of Johnnie for many years and on December 9, 1916, they were married
in Cooperstown, North Dakota. Thus was the beginning of reunions many years lat-
er when the first cousins would get together. That was the result of two brothers
marrying two sisters.
Note from Kristin: I remember what Marie and Johnnie’s daughter Marian
(Sundholm) Ahlverts said at a family reunion in the 1980’s, “Did you know that your
Dad and I have the same first cousins while you have first cousins from your Mom’s
side and other’s from your Dad’s side?”
December 2002. This information was gathered during a visit at Harold
and Cecelia Haglund’s. Notes were taken by Kristin (Granquist) Peterson of conver-
sations of Walt and Vi Johnson and Harold and Cecelia Haglund. Dates were later
added from records of Vi and Walt Johnson