John A. Johnson, (1846-1926)

Headstone GPS Coordinates: 

Birth: 02 June 1846, Åmot, Gävleborg, Sweden,

Death: 12 December 1926, Poss. Seabeck, Kitsap County, Washington

Relatives in Seabeck Cemetery: Margaret “Maggie” Johnson, Albine T. Johnson, Edward Johnson

John A. Johnson was born on June 2, 1846, in Åmot, Gävleborg, Sweden, to Olof Johnson and Helena “Lena” Nilsdotter. In 1867, at the age of twenty one, John immigrated to the United States with his family. They settled in Wabasha County, Minnesota, but the transition was marked by tragedy; Helena passed away just one year later in 1868.

By the 1870 Federal Census, John was twenty four and working as a farmer alongside his father. Over the next decade, he established his own independence; the 1880 census records John managing his own farm with two of his siblings living in his household.

In 1880, Margaret “Maggie” H. Johanssen arrived in Wabasha County from Sweden at the age of thirty three. While her specific birthplace and parentage remain a mystery, she soon built a life with John. The couple married on April 17, 1881, in Wabasha, and welcomed their first son, Edward, on October 3, 1882.

Seeking new opportunities, John filed his initial naturalization papers on November 2, 1883, in Minnesota. Shortly thereafter, the family moved west to Seabeck, Washington. They homesteaded 74 acres in the Lone Rock area, a place that would become their permanent home. John finalized his naturalization in Seattle in 1892.

The family grew with the birth of their second son, Albin T. Johnson, in June 1886. By the turn of the century, the 1900 census shows a busy household: John was working as a day laborer while Maggie managed the home and both boys attended school. 

The family suffered a profound loss on May 2, 1901, when 14-year-old Albin passed away from unknown causes. He was laid to rest in Seabeck Cemetery under a headstone reading “Albin T Johnsen.”

By 1910, John, Maggie, and Edward were focused on farming their homestead, where they remained for the rest of their lives. After more than four decades on the land, Maggie passed away on October 5, 1925, at the age of 78. Her death was attributed to “senile decay” and pneumonia. Her obituary in the Kitsap Herald remembered her as a “highly esteemed resident” of Lone Rock for over 43 years.

John followed her just a year later, passing away on December 12, 1926. He was buried beside his wife and son Albin.