Axel Johnson was born to Nils and Brita Lena (Sameulson) Nelson in Stravalla, Sweden on July 7, 1877. He was the oldest of six children. Axel told that his father rang the church bell for the family church and made wooden shoes. Axel went to Minnesota in about 1900 and worked in the woods. In the spring of 1903, he traveled by train to North Dakota with Walter Pease and Jerry O'Shea, and then crossed country by team and wagon to Blackwater Township in McLean County. He homesteaded on the southwest quarter of Section 14 in Blackwater Township which was west of the town of Garrison, North Dakota. Axel told of walking seventeen miles to Garrison on Monday mornings, working there all week and walking back on Friday evenings. After proving up on his claim, he went back to Minnesota where he met and married Maria Johnson on April 27, 1906. She was from Sweden also. Axel and Maria lived in Minnesota. They adopted a daughter, Lucille in 1914. Axel worked for the park board for $5.00 a week, and had a second job lighting street lamps in the evenings. In the spring of 1917, the little family and a team of big black horses went back to North Dakota to a farm not far from Axel's claim. In 1919, Maria and Axel had a son, Neal. The family lived on a farm that they rented called the Dick Kitts farm for about ten years. Then they built a house on their land in 1927. It was a difficult time with the drought and the family survived by selling eggs for groceries and cream to pay the bills. Most of the dry goods and clothing was bought from the Sears or Montgomery Wards catalogs. While in Blackwater Township, Axel was an active member of the township board for several years. Maria and Axel lived on the farm from 1917 to 1957. Then due to health issues, they moved to the Ventura, California area to be near their children. Axel died in 1961 and his wife, Maria died about ten years later.
Axel Johnson was born to Nils and Brita Lena (Sameulson) Nelson in Stravalla, Sweden on July 7, 1877. He was the oldest of six children. Axel told that his father rang the church bell for the family church and made wooden shoes. Axel went to Minnesota in about 1900 and worked in the woods. In the spring of 1903, he traveled by train to North Dakota with Walter Pease and Jerry O'Shea, and then crossed country by team and wagon to Blackwater Township in McLean County. He homesteaded on the southwest quarter of Section 14 in Blackwater Township which was west of the town of Garrison, North Dakota. Axel told of walking seventeen miles to Garrison on Monday mornings, working there all week and walking back on Friday evenings. After proving up on his claim, he went back to Minnesota where he met and married Maria Johnson on April 27, 1906. She was from Sweden also. Axel and Maria lived in Minnesota. They adopted a daughter, Lucille in 1914. Axel worked for the park board for $5.00 a week, and had a second job lighting street lamps in the evenings. In the spring of 1917, the little family and a team of big black horses went back to North Dakota to a farm not far from Axel's claim. In 1919, Maria and Axel had a son, Neal. The family lived on a farm that they rented called the Dick Kitts farm for about ten years. Then they built a house on their land in 1927. It was a difficult time with the drought and the family survived by selling eggs for groceries and cream to pay the bills. Most of the dry goods and clothing was bought from the Sears or Montgomery Wards catalogs. While in Blackwater Township, Axel was an active member of the township board for several years. Maria and Axel lived on the farm from 1917 to 1957. Then due to health issues, they moved to the Ventura, California area to be near their children. Axel died in 1961 and his wife, Maria died about ten years later.
Inscription
Beloved Husband - Father
Axel Nelson
1877 - 1962
Gravesite Details
Biography by Jackie Winn Ross (47557662)
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