Chapter 3: Swedish Johansson to American Ogren

Johannes Magnusson and Johanna Svensdotter's Family

Johannes Magnusson married Johanna Svensdotter on September 15, 1857 in Toarp, Sweden.

Johannes and Johanna had four sons: Emil Johansson (1857), Carl Adolph Johansson (1859), Gustav Solomon Johansson (1862) and Edwin Solomon Johansson (1864).

Johanna died on April 2, 1881 in Alvsborg, Sweden. After her death, Johannes and his four sons would all leave Sweden and immigrate to America.

Carl Adolph Johansson, the second son of Johannes Magnusson, was the first family member to leave Sweden for America. Born on August 16, 1859, Carl immigrated to America in 1881 at the age of 22. It is not clear if Carl left Sweden before or after his mother died that same year. He may be the "Carl Johansen, age 29" (even though he was 22) on the SS Samaria from Liverpool, England to Boston, Massachusetts on August 28, 1881 (probably not). Upon arriving in America, he went directly to New London, Minnesota. It was also during this time that Carl Johansson changed his name to Carl Ogren. It is believed that he changed it due to the common usage of Johnson by settlers in America from other countries. One report says that they couldn't use Johansson because their were too many already and they had to select a new surname. (Incidently, the 19 most common surnames in Sweden today are "-son" names. The most common is Johansson, followed by Andersson.) If this report is true that it may also be true that Carl Johansson chose the name Ogren after reading it on a nearby sign.

Carl Ogren spent the year of 1883 in Oregon and returned to New London a year later. He never married. On October 30, 1884, Carl was accidently killed. He is buried in the family plot at the Lebanon Cemetery in New London. He has two tombstones, one which reads: "In memory of our brother, Carl A. Ogreen". Even though the family plot is marked as "Ogren", it may be that the spelling was changed slightly in the first few years after immigration.

Carl Ogren's two headstones in Lebanon Cemetery

Emil Johansson, Carl's older brother, was born on December 11, 1857. In 1882, a year after Carl and a year before his father and two youngest brothers, Emil immigrated to the United States and joined his brother in Minnesota. Emil also changed his name to Ogren upon arriving in America. Shortly after settling in Minnesota in 1882, Emil Ogren married Amanda Eleanora Streed on April 27, 1889. We will return to more details on Emil and Amanda's history shortly.

In 1883, two years after the death of Johannes' wife Johanna, the 58 year old Johannes and his two youngest sons, Solomon and Edwin, immigrated to the United States. They moved to New London, Minnesota where his two older sons had already settled. They all became US Citizens.

Johannes died in 1901 and is buried at the Lebanon Cemetery in New London, Minnesota.

Lebanon Cemetery sign; Ogren Family Plot Marker


Johannes Magnusson's headstone in Lebanon Cemetery

Gustav Solomon Johansson, the third Johansson son, was born in 1862. He immigrated to America with his father and younger brother in 1883 at the age of 21 and also changed his name to Ogren when he arrive in New London, Minnesota. After several years in the lumber business at Good Thunder and Glenwood Minnesota, Gustav Solomon decided to go west and relocated to Souris, North Dakota. One family document loftily claims that he "built" the State Bank of Souris. It is not clear what his role was in building the bank but it is clear that he served as its first Cashier and later its President. He took an active part in public affairs and was credited for his work in promoting and developing western North Dakota. He married Randina Soland (born in 1874 to Norweigan parents) in 1902. They had two children Ruth Julia Ogren (b. 1903) and Stella L. Ogren (b. 1904, d. 1983), both born in North Dakota.

Solomon Ogren, photo taken in New London, MN

The 1910 census for Souris shows Gustav's family: Gustaf S. (45), Randina (32), Ruth Julia (6), Stella L. (5). It says both girls were born in North Dakota. Gustav's profession is listed as cashier at a bank.

The 1920 census shows Solomon G. (56), Randina (44), Ruth J. (16), and Stella L. (15). Both girls are still single and in school. It says Ruth was born in North Dakota while Stella was born in Minnesota. Gustav is still listed as a bank cashier.

Gustav died on December 26, 1921 in Souris, North Dakota. Randina died in 1964.

Edwin Solomon Johannson was born in 1864. He immigrated with Johannes and Solomon in 1883 and changed his surname to Ogren. Edwin never married and worked at a variety of occupations in Minnesota. The 1910 U.S. Census lists a "John E. Ogren, 44 years old" living with Emil Ogren and labeling him Emil's brother. While this information could suggest that there was a fifth brother born around 1866, I think it is actually Edwin and his full name is "John Edwin Solomon Ogren". To corroborate this interpretation, in the 1920 census, Edwin is clearly living with Emil's family. Edwin died on March 11, 1926 and is buried in the family plot in the Lebanon Cemetery.

Edwin Ogren's headstone in Lebanon Cemetery

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