Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas) Page: 420
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ers for the years when he took his threshing
machine around Bosque County in the days
of horse teams and wagons. In the late 1940's
the moved to the Lubbock area where he
ginned cotton and raised his own irrigated
cotton and grain. He moved back to Bosque
.- County when he retired.
Wherever we go, our roots are sunk deeply
into the soil of Bosque County.
by Ruby Johnson Roberts
Threshing on Wilson Ranch near Morgan. (See photo next page)
JOHNSON, BERNT FREDRICK
F634
tionary War and in various skirmishes
against Cherokee Indians. Bernt Fredrick Johnson (Bernt Fredrik
Houston Britton Johnson moved his family Johansen Edgeberg) left his native land at
from Tennessee to Fort Graham, Texas in age 22. He sailed from Christiana (Oslo)
1876. He was a farmer, a Baptist preacher, Norway in 1870. He arrived at the Port of
and sometimes taught school. The family New York aboard the "Bystenor" of the
moved to Bosque County in 1891. He and his Cunard line. We do not know his reasons for
sons cleared and farmed land on Plowman leaving such a beautiful country, but he chose
Creek near Kopperl. One of his sons, Lewis to come to America and Dallas, on his way to
Johnson, was my grandfather. Limestone County. East Texas was still in a
James H. (Jim) Speer was born in Cass turmoil caused by the Civil War and the
County, Texas in 1845, and moved to Bosque Reconstruction Period. Little is known of his
County at an early age. He enlisted in the life for about 20 years after arriving in
Confederate army at the age of 16. In 1868 he America. He was a quiet man, a prosperous
was married to Amanda Thomas. He was businessman, and a loving husband and
elected to the office of sheriff of Bosque father. He died at age 64 and is buried at the
County in 1884 and re-elected in 1886. He St. Olaf Lutheran Cemetery, Bosque County,
lived in Bosque County for 82 years, until his Texas. Bernt Johnson was born in 1848 in
death in 1940. At that time he was one of two ' Arstad, Stange Parish, Loten, Norway. He
surviving ex-Confederate soldiers in Bosque was the son of Johan Borreson Egeberg (dates
County. He is buried at Morgan. One of his and places of birth-death are unknown), and
nine children was my grandmother, Laura Olia Olsdatter Aadalen was born in 1817 in
Epsy Speer, born in 1876. Aadalen, Loten Norway. After the death of
Laura Epsy Speer and Lewis Johnson were Johan, Olia married a second time to Knud
married in Bosque County in 1893. To this Olsen Egeberg. They had a child, Oleane
union were born five sons and five daughters: Mariane Egeberg, born in 1858 in Hedemar-
Aron, twins Erna and Verna, Ralph W. (Pat), ken, Loten, Norway. After the death of her
Modelle, Sidney J., Margaret, Clyde, Vivian, second husband, Olia O. Egeberg came to
and H.L. The family was raised on their farm America, Bosque County, in 1881. She lived
in the Union Hill community and attended the remaining years of her life with her
Union Hill school. Their stories handed down daughter and her family. Olia died 1911 and
of community picnics, ice cream suppers, is buried St. Olaf Lutheran Cemetery, Bo-
revivals under the brush arbor, and school sque County. In the mid to late 1870s records
events make this sound like a beautiful era. show that Bernt Johnson resided with and
We love the story of the play at the school- was working for Robert Sylvester Munger in
house when Pat was supposed to recite a Limestone County, Texas. It was during this
stirring poem, against his wishes. When he period that Johnson and Munger studied the
got on the stage he gave them one he liked lint problem of ginning. In the 1880's R.S.
better: Munger is credited with building a suction
Streaks of lightning, peals of thunder, pipe to carry the cotton to and from the gins
Old hen squated and chickens run under! as well as three gin stands instead of the
and walked calmly off the stage. required eighteen. This invention made R.
Aron and Liefy Johnson raised their family Munger a pioneer in the improvement of
at Kopperl. Verna Johnson married Tom ginning machinery in the United States.
Billings and they lived in the Temple area. Robert Munger started a business "Munger
Erna Johnson married Jim Day and they Improved Cotton Machine Manufacturing
raised their family at Kopperl. Ralph (Pat) Company" in Dallas. In the 1800's it is
and Nellie Johnson raised their family at believed that Bernt Johnson spent much of
Morgan. Modelle Johnson Glaser lives in his time in Dallas during the early stages of
Cameron. Sidney J. Johnson had no descen- this business as he met and married both of
dants. He is buried at Morgan. Margaret his wives in that county.
(Lee) Parsley taught in several schools in In 1878 Oleane (Mary) Egeberg came to
Bosque County. She retired from teaching at America and Limestone County, Texas to be
Conroe, and moved to Hot Springs Village, near her only brother, Bernt. She lived on
Arkansas. Clyde and Ruby Johnson raised Colonel J.R. Henry plantation a few miles
their family at Union Hill and later moved to south of Mexia township.
Morgan. Vivian Johnson married Marion Bernt Johnson bought 100 acres on Bosque
Hudson and they raised their family in and Hamilton county line from Mrs. Sarah
Cleburne. H.L. and Minty Ruth Johnson Brashear in 1881. It is believed he lived on the
raised their family in Cleburne. property in late 1880's after his marriage to
My father is Ralph W. (Pat) Johnson. His Olava Antonette Simpson in Dallas County.
other children are Ralph L. Johnson of Grand They had a son, Carl Oscar (Charlie) John-
Prairie, and Ophelia Guthrie of Hillsboro. son, born 1891 in Dallas. Olava A. died four
Daddy will be remembered by the oldtim- months later, in 1891 in Dallas. She wasburied at the St. Olaf Lutheran Cemetery,
Bosque County. Carl O. Johnson went to live
with his Aunt Oleane Egeberg Rohne and his
grandmother in Bosque County for the next
four years.
About 1893 in Dallas, Bernt married Carrie
(Karen) Neilsen of Denmark. Carrie was born
1870. After their marriage they moved to the
farm on the Bosque and Hamilton County
line. In 1893 Bernt Johnson and J.C. Westley
purchased two-thirds interest in a gin owned
by M.B. Hill. The gin was on the St. Louis,
Arkansas and Texas Railroad, Oglesby, Co-
ryell County, Texas. The Johnsons lived in
Oglesby for a short time. Their first child,
Annette, died in 1896 and is buried in Post
Oak Cemetery, Oglesby, Texas. In 1898 Bernt
sold his one-third interest in the gin to the
Munger Mfg. Co. and Arnold Schibler. While
in Dallas in 1891 Bernt applied for U.S.
Citizenship, which he received in Hamilton
County in 1909.
Carl Oscar (Charlie) Johnson son of Bernt
and Olava Johnson (1891-1977) is buried at
the St. Olaf Lutheran Cemetery. He married
Edith Carlson and they had three sons,
Barbaran Aubery Johnson, Ivan Allison
Johnson, and Charley Elroy Johnson who
lived three months.
Bernt and Carrie Johnson had eleven
children: three died at an early age. Bernt
died 1912. Carrie lived to see eight of her
children grown and operating the family
farm. The children are as follows: (1) Cora
Olia (1896), now living at the Lutheran
Sunset Home, Clifton, Texas. She had a
daughter, Vernell. (2) Christian (Chris)
(1897-1979) is buried at St. Olaf Cemetery.
(3) Eveline Majiane Christenson (1899). She
is living at the Meridian Geriatric Center,
Meridian, Texas. She has two sons: Burton
Paul and Leldon Dale. (4) Eddie Monrote
(1901). He is living with his stepson, Roy
Kirkland in Alvarado, Texas. (5) Clara
Johanna (1902-1973), is buried at St. Olaf
Cemetery. (6) Collett Belvin (1904-1982), is
buried at St. Olaf Cemetery. (7) Willie Nils
(Bill) (1905), living at the Lutheran Sunset
Home, Clifton. (8) Sylvester Nicalie (1907-
1981), is buried at St. Olaf Cemetery. He had
two sons, Robert William (Bill) and Fredrick
Walter (Fred).
by Fredrick Walter Johnson
JOHNSON, BERRY
F635
/ I4 4 41
Berry Johnson in Blacksmith Shop, Meridian
John and Gurena Johnson, Lillehammer,
Norway, had two sons, Berry and John. When420
, ,,
,
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Bosque County History Book Committee. Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas), book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth91038/m1/436/?q=campbell: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Denton Public Library.