" . • • • ANDREW JOHNSON and MARIA AGUSTA CHRISTIANSEN DAUGHTERS; AGNES AND JULIA Pioneers from Norway to Morgan, Utah Researched & submitted by Lois Dickson Anderson, whose husband Frank Manin Anderson is a great-great grandson of these pioneers Andrew Johnson was born 25 July 1825 in Christiania, (Oslo) Akershus, Norway to Rasmus Johnson and Hokene Johansen. During the early I 850's Andrew married his sweetheart Maria Agusta Christiansen. She was born 7 July 1821 to Lars Berger and Karen M. Christiansen in Norway. The couple was parents to two known daughters born to them in Christiania, Norway. Agnes was born 4 October 1847-48 and Julia born 16 May 1851. Mormon missionaries came to their home and they accepted baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Andrew and Maria were baptized on the 15 March 1856 by Elder Gusta Anderson and confirmed by Elder Fjild the next day 16 March 1856. These dates are confirmed in the Milton Ward Records: Film 6400 line 64. The history of Mormon converts in Norway have recorded that many family ties were severed in Norway during this period when young people turned away from their traditional religion and joined the so-called "Mormons." Many parents rejected and had no further communication with their sons and daughters. Thus feeling the desperation of persecution, many abandoned their beautiful country and family ties in Norway, leaving behind almost everything they had. So when the opportunity came to leave their beloved home land of Norway for America, Andrew and Maria along with their seven-year-old Agnes and four-year-old Julia, stuffed a few treasures and belongings into a steamer trunk and left to join the saints in Utah. The Johnson Family boarded vessels of the time and watched Norway's ocean front and lush beautiful mountains fade from their view and made their way across the mighty Atlantic to coast of America, across the breadth of United States to the frontiers of the dry hot and seemingly desert of the west. June Houser, a great-granddaughter of Agnes said that; "her grandmother walked all the way across the plains when 8 years of age." They found refuge in the town of Littleton/Milton in Morgan County Utah. The following account of the Johnson family was told to a family member in 1970 by Lyman Mecham and Joseph Spendlove, both former bishops of the Mi.lton Ward. They both knew the Johnson family well: Bishop Spendlove recounted the following: "Andrew and Maria purchased the property where Woodrow and Twila Giles lived in the 1970's. The house they lived in was a wooden house thaJ had an underground room or basement. I (Joseph Spendlove) remember vividly as a child of going to Brother and Sister Johnson 's home to buy eggs. They had lots of chickens, and they always went under the house, where it was cool to get the eggs for me, and then I would take them home to my Mother. later Mr. Johnson sold this property to William Giles and moved to a house up Line Creek Road, to the same property that Victor and Helen Nelson lives on today. Their two daughters had married by this lime; Agnes to Ole Olsen Gaarder (Gorder). They enjoyed their many grandchildren of this marriage. " Bishop Lyman Mecham tells more about the family: "On 22 April 1884 this family was saddened by the passing of their father Ole, leaving Agnes a widow with sevenfaJher/ess children. Agnes eventually married Peter Jensen and moved quite a ways up line t7b \ . .. • • • Creek, above her parents home. It was very difficult to get the children to school. Sometime during the I 890 's Maria Agusta Johnson passed away, so Agnes and her second husband Peter Jensen moved into the family home on line Creek Road where they were closer to the Milton school. One day the house burned down while Mr. Jensen had gone for a load of coal. When Mr. Jensen passed away, Agnes moved her family to the home where Preston and Elma Jones (I 970) lives today, across from the Milton Church. The Milton school was located just across the street. Agnes and Peter had two children together, both daughters": Ole and Agnes's children are listed in the order of their births and to whom they were married in thjs paragraph: Clara Agnes born 6 November 1868 married Louis Cobabe; Oscar born 12 May 1871 married Mary Lenori Anderson; Lorain Agusta born 14 September 1873; Walter Andrew born 20 October 1876 married Mildred Pearl Bertoch; Lillian Normanda born 18 February 1879 married Thomas Fry; Anne Gertrude born 3 I August 1881, married James Bertoch; Carl Ole born 15 June 1884 married Myrtle Edwards. Agnes and Peter Jensen's two daughters are half sisters to the Gaarder (Garder or Gorder) children. Agnes Marie born 28 November 1890 married Vern Rogerson and Alta Betrice born 21 Jun 1894 married Gilbert Rhees. Andrew and Maria's second daughter Julia married Martin Gaarder (Garder or Gorder), a brother to Agnes's husband Ole Olsen on the 30 January 1873, who was also from a family ofNorwegian immigrants. The two Johnson sisters married two brothers. Julia and Martin's marriage was performed by Samuel Francis in Littleton, when Julia was 22 years old and Martin 23 years of age. This couple moved to a house in Peterson, across the street from the George Fearn residence (1970). The Johnson grandparents were again delighted with more grandchildren from thjs marriage. Laura Gillettie, born 29 July 1875, married J. William (Will) Anderson; Edgar Martin, born 16 Oct 1876, married Zina Ann Richins and her sister Lucy Pearl Richins; Willard born 1878 died; Horace Thomas born 6 May 1879, married Elizabeth Alice Jones; Twins, Rose and Edward born 1880 died shortly after birth; Carrie May born l May 1884, married William Ellsworth Preece; Henry born 27 April 1886, married Pearl Kelly. When the last child, Henry, was nine-months-old, the children's mother Julia passed away on a cold 22"d January day in 1887, leaving this young family motherless. At this time Andrew and Maria had thirteen grandchildren. Within three years they had lost their son-in-law Ole and their own darling daughter Julia at age thirty-six, just a few days before Julia and Martin's fourteenth wedding anniversary. The following information was told by Milton Richins who lived in the newly constructed brick house with Edgar Garder and his aunt Lucy Richins. Milton's mother passed away and his father was a brother to Zina and Pearl Richins. "Martin never remarried, and one day while he was mine prospecting, his house burned down, and took all that he and the children had, except their lives. A new home was constructed on the property the George Fearn Sr. lives on now (1970). The oldest daughter laura Gil/ettie (known as Lettie) took over the motherly duties at age thirteen to care for her siblings". On Memorial Day, May 1979 our family (Frank & Lois Anderson) constructed a headstone in cement and marked the burial spot of Andrew and Maria Agusta Christiansen Johnson. The exact place was not known until Lois Anderson wrote to " Agnes Rogerson" 3 November 1968 and the following letter was received: "I'm writing for Mrs. Rogerson in reference to your letter concerning Andrew and Maria A. Johnson. As far as mother knows there was only the two daughters, Julia and Agnes, if there was a son she never knew about it. Andrew and Maria Johnson are buried in the Milton Cemetery, but we do not know the plot number. We tend the graves each year but I would be at a loss to direct you to it. Mother says that Herbert Whittier may be able to tell you where the plot is as they have the plot adjoining. Sincerely, for Agnes Rogerson, daughter June Houser. " Post Script: The day the letter was received Lois Anderson went to Herbert Whittier's home and he accompanied her to the Milton Cemetery, where he positively identified the plot. Andrew Johnson died in January of 1913. Maria Agusta's exact death date is unknown at this time. They are buried in the Milton Cemetery . I? I