Brita Louisa Johnson (née Anderson)

Headstone GPS Coordinates: 

Birth: 20 September 1848, Öland, Sweden

Death: 21 April 1904, poss. Silverdale, Kitsap County, Washington

Relatives in Seabeck Cemetery: John August Johnson, Hulda Andersen (née Johnson), Carl Albert Johansen/Johnson, Emel Andersen, Emma Andersen, 

American Revolutionary War Patriots*: None

Brita Louisa Anderson was born on September 20, 1848, on the island of Öland, Sweden. Around 1871, she married John August Johnson, who was also from Öland. Together they became the parents of six children. Their first four children—Hulda Kristina (1873), Emil John (1875), Gustav Adolph (1876), and Selma (1879)—were born in Sweden. 

Louisa remained in Sweden with her children while her husband immigrated ahead of the family. In 1887, she made the long journey to the United States with her children, joining him in Kitsap County, Washington. 

After the family immigrated to the United States, their daughter Alice was born in Silverdale, Washington, in 1889, followed by their youngest son, Carl Albert, who was born in Seabeck in 1891.

The family initially lived at Anderson Landing before choosing Silverdale as their permanent home. Louisa raised her children there while supporting the family’s livelihood through the demanding pioneer life of the late nineteenth century. In addition to managing the household, the family supplemented their income by digging and selling clams.

Family recollections passed down by Louisa’s great-grandchildren describe the Johnsons as active and well-regarded members of the community. They built homes, formed lasting friendships, and were particularly involved with local schools. Louisa’s role as a mother and community member was central to establishing family life in Silverdale during its early years.

Tragedy struck the family in the 1890s. Their youngest child, Carl Albert Johansen (using the Swedish spelling of the surname), died at the age of four from unknown causes. He was buried in Seabeck Cemetery, becoming the first member of the family laid to rest there. 

Another loss followed when Louisa’s eldest daughter, Hulda Kristina—referred to in one account as “Annie”—died before 1900. Hulda had worked as a nurse and succumbed to tuberculosis. She was married to Oluf Andersen and was buried in Seabeck Cemetery near her younger brother Carl.

On April 21, 1904, Brita Louisa Johnson died at the age of 55 from what was described as “stomach trouble.” She was buried in Seabeck Cemetery, where her grave is marked by a beautifully carved obelisk bearing the inscription:

“Farewell mother sweet thy rest.”