Bennett Johnson (1887 - 1973)

Born 18 Aug 1887 in Granite Falls Township, Chippewa, Minnesota, United States

Husband of Ida Marrie (Bruun) Amundson — married 15 Mar 1918 (to 1929) in Bemidji, Beltrami, Minnesota, United States

Died 5 May 1973 at age 85 in Fargo, Cass, North Dakota, United States

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Biography

Bennett was born on August 18, 1887. He was the son of Ole Martinus Baardsen (Ole Johnson) and Malla Larson Vigesaa. He was the oldest of ten children. Bennett and his family moved from Granite Falls Township to Brandsvold Township, Polk County, Minnesota, around 1902. In the early 1910s, Bennett and his brother Ernest came to purchase a farm in Section 12 of Dudley Township, Clearwater County, Minnesota. Bennett married Ida Marrie Bruun from neighboring Buzzle Township on March 15, 1918. Bennett was a moonshiner and took part in many logging and teamster jobs. Not long after their last son Kenneth was born, Bennett and Ida separated and then divorced in 1929. Bennett was able to keep custody of his two older sons, George and Bennie. However, he never remarried. He continued living in Dudley, mostly on his parents' farm or with the Mogsters next door, and working odd jobs in the Dakotas until 1939 when he bought the recently repossessed farm of Hans Nelson, who died in 1936. He got a great deal buying this farm from the bank but inevitably introduced his son to the daughter of Hans, Alvina Nelson. George and Alvina would marry and live for many years at that farm, while Bennett lived with them, and sometimes Alvina's mother and half-brother Gusta and Ernest. Bennett moved to the Good Samaritan Home in Clearbrook in the 1960s, enjoying many years of crafts and even becoming the King of Clearbrook one year. He passed away at St. Luke's Hospital in Fargo on May 5, 1973, and was buried next to his granddaughter at Greenwood Lutheran Church Cemetery on May 10th.

Research Notes

• Bennett did not have a middle name, nor did any of his siblings. Most used the letter O, which was common for first-generation Americans with Norwegian parents who held onto the Norwegian system of patronymic names. The O stood for Olsen, which would have been Bennett's patronymic surname.

Sources

• "Minnesota State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SMS-TL8?cc=1503031&wc=M6GH-L36%3A65682801%2C65710901 : 1 April 2016), Chippewa County > Granite Falls city > image 4 of 20; State Library and Records Service, St. Paul.
• "Minnesota State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YSY7-W32?cc=1503056&wc=M8S2-BZH%3A67005001%2C67036201 : 21 May 2014), Polk > Brandsvold township > image 9 of 20; State Library and Records Service, St. Paul.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRVZ-2MG?cc=1727033&wc=QZZW-WBK%3A133639401%2C137798001%2C140282601%2C1589090351 : 24 June 2017), Minnesota > Polk > Brandsvold > ED 187 > image 4 of 15; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RF4-TP?cc=1488411&wc=QZJT-KMH%3A1036473401%2C1037190101%2C1036895901%2C1589332801 : 11 September 2019), Minnesota > Clearwater > Dudley > ED 50 > image 3 of 8; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRZK-QSN?cc=1810731&wc=QZFW-FTS%3A648803501%2C649488901%2C648867901%2C1589282363 : 8 December 2015), North Dakota > Grand Forks > Avon > ED 5 > image 1 of 8; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MT-W739?cc=2000219&wc=QZXP-LBW%3A790104601%2C791911601%2C791328101%2C798663402 : accessed 21 March 2024), Minnesota > Clearwater > Greenwood Township > 15-10 Greenwood Township (Township 150 Range 37 (part)) > image 2 of 9; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
• "United States 1950 Census", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F9H-Q46W : Fri Oct 06 21:37:50 UTC 2023), Entry for Bennet O Johnson and George O Johnson, April 12, 1950.

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8184-C8J?cc=1968530&wc=9FZS-FMQ%3A928311201%2C928374701 : 13 October 2019), Minnesota > Clearwater County; A-Z > image 671 of 1568; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91R-VQVQ-L?cc=1861144 : 14 April 2016), > image 1 of 1. Citing NARA microfilm publications M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Minnesota Official Marriage System. Beltrami County. Certificate Number F/192. 3/15/1918
• Beltrami County Court issued Divorce Certificate, currently in possession of Alt-735

• https://statemuseum.nd.gov/deaths/details?UNIQUE%20ID=2b756610e51111ee9a7a00224843a3b6
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45709172/bennett-johnson: accessed March 21, 2024), memorial page for Bennett Johnson (18 Aug 1887–5 May 1973), Find a Grave Memorial ID 45709172, citing Greenwood Lutheran Cemetery, Leon Township, Clearwater County, Minnesota, USA; Maintained by Mavon (contributor 49332933).

• A Johnson Family History Part II The Children and Their Descendants, Chery Kinnick, 2003
• Imported data from M Alt tree