Johannes Petersson was born March 27, 1844 in Torpet Kupermåla, Herråkra, Kronobergs Lan, Sweden to Petter Svensson and Christina Håkansdotter. Petter and Christina’s sons, Johan and Johannes emigrated to the U.S. in 1864 with Frank Swenson, who would later marry their sister, Johanna, in the U.S. in 1867. Petter and Christina and their daughter Johanna emigrated to the U.S. in June 1865. Johannes Petersson changed his name to John P. Swenson after he emigrated to the U.S. Petter and Christina Svensson changed their names to Peter and Christine Swenson after they arrived in the U.S. The first year John Swenson spent in the state of New York and in Rock Island, Illinois to earn money before coming to the Chisago Lake settlement in Minnesota in 1865. Peter and Christine Swenson and their daughter Johanna lived in Center City, Minnesota before moving to the southeastern shore of Goose Lake where they homesteaded 200 acres of land with their son, John Swenson. John married Sara Lisa Carlsdotter Vislander on March 1, 1881 in Chisago County. Sara had emigrated from Sweden in 1877. John and Sara had eight daughters and one son: Helen Christine, Nannie Otellia, Hulda Marie, Emily Victoria, Lydia Sophia, Jennie Thersia, Carl Victor, Minnie Pauline and Hattie Hortense. John and Sara and their children were members of Fish Lake Lutheran Church. Frank and Johanna Swenson lived on Horseshoe Lake and they had 8 children. My grandmother, Hilda, would walk through the woods nearly 4 miles to their cousin’s house on Goose Lake to visit when she was young. I assume the other cousins also would visit each other during their youth. John Swenson and his family had a long trip of nearly six miles to go to church at Fish Lake Lutheran near Stark, Minnesota. Three of their children died in 1907 and one died in 1912, possibly from typhoid fever. John Swenson died August 31, 1909 of pernicious anemia at the age of 65 and is buried at Fish Lake Lutheran Cemetery.
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SOURCE: email message received 18-Jan-2015 from Galen Blomster (#47903256)

The 1900 US Census record shows the following 11-member SWENSON family residing at Fish Lake Township, Chisago County, MN:

Head John Svenson M 56 Sweden
Wife Sara Svenson F 47 Sweden
Dau Hellen Svenson F 19 Minnesota
Dau Nanie Svenson F 17 Minnesota
Dau Hulda Svenson F 16 Minnesota
Dau Emelia Svenson F 15 Minnesota
Dau Lydia Svenson F 13 Minnesota
Dau Jennie Svenson F 10 Minnesota
Son Victor Svenson M 8 Minnesota
Dau Minnie Svenson F 5 Minnesota
Dau Hattie Svenson F 3 Minnesota

MN Death Index record:
SWENSON, JOHANNE
Date of Birth: na
Place of Birth: na
Mother Maiden Name: na
certid# 1909-MN-001929
Date of Death: 31 Aug 1909
County of Death: CHISAGO

NOTE: The cemetery record shows his name as: Johannes P Swenson. The Fish Lake Township death index shows Johanas Swenson, age 65y 5m, 4d died of pernicious anemia on 31-Aug-1909.