J. ALFRED JOHNSON DIED AT THE HOME OF HIS SON
The funeral of J. Alfred Johnson was held at Essex last Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock from the Lutheran Church at Essex, his death having occurred Saturday. At the time of his death he was visiting his son Elmer Johnson at Red Oak. He was 64 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Johnson will be known and remembered by many though Page County as one of the early pioneers and one of the most prominent men around Essex. At the time of his death he was vice-president of the Swedish Insurance Association.
From the Shenandoah Sentinel Post we find the following facts about the deceased:
Surviving him are his aged wife, and eight children: Clarence, who resides three miles northeast of Shenandoah; Elmer of Red Oak; Mrs. Harry Lagerquist, Mrs. Carl Swanson, Mrs. Clarence Liljedahl, and Miss Mamie and Paul, who are living at home, and Mrs. Thyra Rotton of Iowa City, wife of Dr. Rotton, dentist.
J. Alfred Johnson was born in Sweden, December 28, 1860. He was but nine years old when he came with parents to the United States. His education was received in the common schools of Illinois and Iowa. When he was sixteen years old he started out to do business on his own responsibility. He came to Page County, in 1871, resided for a short time in Fremont Township and later moving to Tarkio Township. In 1886 he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Carlson form Fremont township who came from Sweden to the United States in 1881.
Starting out in a life a poor boy he amused considerable property, raised a big family and he and Mrs. Johnson were pillars of the Lutheran Church at Essex.
His son, Elmer Johnson, who is in the grocery business at Red Oak invited the parents and other relatives to a big dinner Sunday, July 13. He was taken sick shortly afterwards and lingered along for a week with stomach trouble from which he could not get relief.
J. A. Swanson from Clarinda was in attendance at the funeral.
The Clarinda Herald, Clarinda, Iowa, Thursday, July 24, 1924, page 8