A Family History of Hans Berg and Emelia Johnson

Family History

Hans Berg

The father of Hans Berg was Thorvald Berg. The mother of Hans died in Norway before the family immigrated and her name is unknown. Thorvald was born in 1848 in Norway. He and his wife had three known children: Anne, Hans and Christian.

1. Anne A Berg was born in was born in May 1878 in Norway. She married Peter A Jorgenson in 1895.  Peter was born in Jan 1864 in Norway.

2. Hans Berg was born on 10 Feb 1882 in Throndjem, Norway and died on 26 Oct 1948 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, at age 66. Hans married Emelia Josephine Johnson , on 22 Aug 1906 in Milton, Adams, North Dakota. Emelia was born on 21 Dec 1882 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin and died on 27 Mar 1973 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon at age 91. Hans and Emelia had five children while living in North Dakota.: Harris Raymond, Elmer Joseph, Helen Christine, Maynard Russell, and Evelyn Louise. In 1939 Hans and Emelia moved to Portland, Oregon where several of their children had already located. Eventually the entire family ended up living in Portland.

3. Christian Berg was born in May 1886 in Norway and died 2 Mar 1945 in Everett, Snohomish, Washington. Christian married Millie O Graten on 28 Dec 1910.  Millie was born on 29 Jun 1887 in North Dakota and died on 15 Jun 1969 in Edmonds, Snohomish, Washington, at age 81. Christian and Millie had one daughter, Hazel B Berg, who was born in 1917 in Washington. Christian and his family moved from North Dakota, then to Canada and then to Washington. In the 1920 and 1930 census Christian is a grocer living with his wife and daughter in Everett, Snohomish, Washington.

Thorvald immigrated to America with Hans and Christian in 1899. It is not clear when Anne immigrated. In the 1900 census Thorvald, Hans and Christian are living with Anne and her husband, Peter Jorgenson in Grafton, Walsh, North Dakota. According to the census Peter immigrated in 1882. At that time Anne was only 4 so he either came back to Norway at some time and married her or else she immigrated with her her father and brothers and met and married Peter soon after arriving. No record of Peter or Anne has been found except the 1900 census. It is suspected they moved to Canada.

Hans attended grade school in Norway and finished high school at Grafton, North Dakota. According to a 1936 newspaper article "Know Your Neighbor", from Tioga, North Dakota "His main occupation in life has been that of general merchant and has been employed in stores of Grafton, Milton and Antler, and for three years he operated his own store at Lansford and in 1933 came to Tioga as manager of the grocery department for N.W. Simon and son. In 1935 he took over the management of the local Safeway store which position he continues to hold at the present time. Fraternally Mr Berg is a member of the local Masonic Lodge and belongs to the Lutheran church. He is a member of the Commercial Club and one of the directors of the Tioga community band. He is interested in any form of athletics and will go a long ways to see a good base ball game but lists music as foremost of his hobbies and plays in both the band and orchestra. While Mr. Berg is not an old settler in Tioga community his interest in any thing for civic betterment marks him as a progressive citizen and an addition to any village."

After he moved to Portland, Oregon in 1939, Hans operated his own grocery store until his death in 1948.
 

Emelia Josephine Johnson

Emelia Josephine Johnson was in Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin to John Johnson and Ragnhild Olson Johnson.

Little is known about Emelia's father, John Johnson except that  he was born in Norway and died in a train wreck sometime between 1888 and 1910.

Emelia's mother, Ragnhild Olson, was born on 30 Dec 1854 in Norway and died on 15 Mar 1944 in  Bremen, Pine County, Minnesota, at age 89.  She immigrated to America in 1876. Ragnhild Olson was married twice: first to John Johnson and then to ______Thorud. The name on her tombstone is Rina O Thorud .

According to the 1920 census, John and Ragnhild had five children but only three lived: Julia, Emelia, and Jennie.

1. Julia Johnson was born in 1881 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Julia married Theodore Taarud, son of Johannes Taarud, on 30 Oct 1907 in Milton, Adams, North Dakota.  Theodore was born on 5 Feb 1886 in Milton, Adams, North Dakota and died on 15 Apr 1961. Theodore and Julia had one child, Ruby, who was born in 1909 in North Dakota. In 1910 Julia and Ruby were living with her sister, Emelia, and brother-in-law, Hans Berg. It is not known where her husband was at this time or where they went after 1910 although it is suspected they may have moved up into Canada.

2. Emelia Johnson Emelia was born on 21 Dec 1882 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin and died on 27 Mar 1973 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon at age 91. She married Hans Berg on 22 Aug 1906 in Milton, Adams, North Dakota. Hans was born on 10 Feb 1882 in Throndjem, Norway and died on 26 Oct 1948 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, at age 66.  Hans and Emelia had five children while living in North Dakota.: Harris Raymond, Elmer Joseph, Helen Christine, Maynard Russell, and Evelyn Louise. In 1939 Hans and Emelia moved to Portland, Oregon where several of their children had already located. Eventually the entire family ended up living in Portland. (see section on Hans and Emelia and their descendents for details)

3. Jennie Johnson was born on 26 Oct 1888 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin and died on 11 Jan 1985 in Moose Lake, Carlton, Minnesota, at age 96.  Jennie married Theodore Duit, son of Carl Heere (Harry) Duit and Eva Magdalena Louise (Margaret) Mueller in 1912.  Theodore was born on 5 Nov 1877 in Ashford, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and died on 24 Apr 1955 in Carlton, Carlton, Minnesota, at age 77. Theodore was first married to Selma Geidel in 1903. Selma died with her infant in childbirth in 1905. In 1906 Theodore left Wisconsin along with his parents and moved to Minnesota where he later met Jennie. She worked as his housekeeper before their marriage in 1912. Jennie and Theodore lived in Minnesota where he was a dairy farmer until their deaths. They had four children: Myrtle L, Harvey, Olive, and Russell Theodore.

3.1 Myrtle L Duit was born on 29 May 1912 in Minnesota and died on 22 Dec 1988 in St Louis, Pine, Minnesota, at age 76.  Myrtle married Joseph Stepan.  Joseph was born on 25 Sep 1901 and died 17 May 1992 in St Louis, Pine, Minnesota. They had two children: Glen and Joyce. 

3.2 Harvey Duit was born 28 Nov 1914 in Minnesota and died 3 May 2004 in Santa Rosa, Riverside, California at age 89.  Harvey married Bette Marion Merth. Bette was born 1 Nov 1917 in Wisconsin and died 2 Jun 1992 in St Louis County, Minnesota at age 74. They had two children: Gerald and Judith Olive. 

3.3 Olive Duit was born on 16 Mar 1918 in Minnesota and died on 3 Aug 1995 in Minnesota, at age 77.  Olive married August B Willi.  August was born on 8 Nov 1912 and died on 2 Jan 1968 in Hennepin, Minnesota, at age 55. They had two children: Donald and Donna Mae.

3.4 Russell Theodore Duit was born on 29 Apr 1928 and died on 8 Feb 2003 in Hibbing, St Louis, Minnesota, at age 74.  Russell married Anna Clarice Straeger. Clarice died in 16 Mar 1992 in Hibbing, St Louis, Minnesota

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