The Johnson Family  -   Beginnings in America 

The “Johnson” branch of our family arrived in the United States approximately 1886 (I am still trying to find migration papers) with Joseph Oscar Johnson.  His wife Olena Marie Sverine Mickarelson and three daughters, Christine Isidori, Marie Elfrida Ronghil, and Ingeborg Gustava came with him or soon after.  Joseph was born in Sweden March 1, 1845.  Olena was born in Norway on Oct 25, 1852 in probably what is now Olso. This city was named Christiania until 1925 when it reverted to its original name of Oslo.  Christine, Marie and Ingeborg were born in Christiania and probably lived there until their journey to America.  Christine Isidori was born on Oct 28, 1877, Marie Elfrida Ronghil was born Aug 25, 1881 and Ingeborg Gustava Josephinia was born Sept 23, 1883. I was able to locate Ingaborg and Marie’s baptismal records in Oslo in the old Church records.  The “Johnson” name was the American version of their name of “Johannsen” as listed in the church records.  The family lived in Port Norris, New Jersey by 1888 when William Barton Johnson was born on March 22 according to the birth records of New Jersey and his WWI Registration Card.  I don’t know why they went to Port Norris but would love to know any theories.  His brother Joseph Peter was born soon after in Nov 27, 1889 in Port Norris, New Jersey. 

Another boy was born, Norman Johannes Johnson probably in Dec 1891 and died in 1892. I am not sure where the family was living at that time. By 1894 they were living in Camden, New Jersey because Esther Normandy Johnson was born in 1894 on Feb 10.  They were living at 221 York St. a little house near the river.  She died soon after her first birthday on March 8, 1895. Joseph purchased a burial plot in the Harleigh Cemetery in Camden in the Mt Hope section the day before she was buried. The cemetery was rather new at the time, it had opened in 1885.  Walt Whitman was buried there in 1892. 

On Oct 27, 1895 Olive Ella Julia Johnson was born in Camden while the family lived at 427 Erie.  The family continued to live in Camden but did move several times over the years.  The following is a list from the Camden City Directory tracing Joseph Johnson residences and his occupations:

1895 – seaman, 427 Erie
1896 – laborer, 931 N 3^rd
1897 – seaman, 931 N 3^rd
1898 – ship carpenter, 931 N 3^rd
1899 – clerk, 931 N 3^rd
1900 – wharfbuilder, 221 York
1901 – mariner, 221 York
1906 – sea captain, 221 York
1909 – mariner, 603 N 3^rd
1910 – sea captain on Coaster, 316 Elm (from 1910 census)
1911 – residence at death, 221 York (according to death certificate)
1911 - 316 Elm (according to obituary)

As your read over Joseph’s occupations, he was definitely involved with the maritime industry. I need to continue to research this aspect of his life to find more information.  Any ideas or information?

I heard the “family lore” saying that Joseph died aboard a ship after being hit in the head by the sail boom, but unfortunately that is just lore.  According to Joseph’s Death Certificate, he died in the US Marine Hospital of Baltimore, MD on April 23, 1911.  This hospital was a government supported service for the care of US mariners.  I believe that it merged with Johns-Hopkins Hospital in the early 1900’s, but the building is still there.  On the death certificate the doctor recorded seeing him from Feb 9, 1910 until his death.  I am not sure if he was in the hospital all that time or just having periodic visits, but he did die in the hospital.  He died from Carcinoma of the Bladder at 66 years old.  I am told this cancer is caused by heavy smoking.  His body was sent to Camden, NJ for burial in the Harleigh Cemetery. On April 25, 1911, an obituary was printed in the Camden Daily Courier:

JOHNSON – On April 23, 1911, at Baltimore, Md., Joseph Oscar, husband of Olena M. S. Johnson, aged 66 years.  The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral services on Wednesday afternoon, April 26^th, 1911, at two o’clock, from his late residence, 316 Elm St., Camden, N. J.  Interment private at Harleigh Cemetery.

Olena continued to live until Nov 27, 1930 and was buried next to her husband. She was 79 years old and lived in the Camden County Asylum, Gloucester City, N.J. as an inmate according to the 1930 census the year she died.  This was a county supported facility for the destitute and infirmed.  It was part Almshouse, part insane asylum, part TB hospital near what is Lakeland Hospital today. Her daughter Ingeborg Thomas arranged the funeral and lived at 63 Roberts Ave., Haddonfield, New Jersey.  In 1941, Ingeborg had new grave markers erected on her parent’s graves.  Those are the gravestones we see now.

 

This is just a start of the information on our family.  Please email me any other information or ideas you have so I can continue filling in the pieces for our family history.  I will continue to write about this family and explore all the children of Joseph and Olena. 

 So until next time, take care and enjoy your family.

Tricia

(Spellings and dates did vary throughout all the records so it is difficult to say with accuracy the dates of events.  I tried to use the most sourced dates and names.)