Hans and Oliver Johnson, the Tale of Two Other Brothers

 

At 58 years in age, Kerstin Hansdottor left the village of Tina, Rättvik parish, Dalarna, Sweden on June 21st of 1872 bound for Omaha, Nebraska in the United States. Traveling with her was her oldest living son, Hans, and her youngest living son, Olof. Kerstin would take the name of Christina in America and Olof would be known as Oliver. Once in Nebraska the family settled in Leigh, Colfax County, on a farm along with John, another son of Kerstin that came to America with his brother Anders (Andrew in America) in 1870. John was married to Annie Morell from Oakland in Burt County. The fourth brother, Andrew, was married to Carrie Olson, also of Oakland in Burt County.

At some point, Christine, Hans and Oliver left Colfax County and moved to Gothenburg, Nebraska. In Gothenburg, Hans was a rural farmer, owning two 80-acre parcels in the northwest corner of Dawson County. Along with his farming duties, Hans was caring for an aging mother and for Oliver, who was mentally handicapped. Andrew had also moved to the Gothenburg area and had settled in the southern part of the county near Cozad. Andrew and his wife Carrie were also caring for Carrie’s aging father, Lars who died in Gothenburg on July 29th, 1902.

On June 3rd of 1907 at an age of 93 years, Christina Johnson passed away.  Shortly after her passing, Hans and Oliver were once again on the move. They moved to Santa Rosa, California where Hans bought a house and three lots. Life carried on for the two brothers until April 16th of 1921. At 82 years of age Hans Johnson ended his life after battling with poor business decisions and the burden of caring for his “feeble minded” (see Hans obituary below) brother. Hans was buried in the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery.

Oliver was alone in the world. Hans had a couple of parcels of land that was sold by his estate to help care for Oliver. After several years of residence in a local sanitarium, Oliver Johnson passed away on March 6, 1940. He was laid to rest in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Santa Rosa.

 

 

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Tuesday, April 19, 1921

 

Life Not Good to 82-Year Old Hans Johnson Kills Himself

 

Life held too many burdens for Hans Johnson, who had lived to the age of 82 years, 12 beyond the average age of man, so he killed himself. Care of an invalid feeble-minded brother, poor investments, and weariness of soul and mind with the problems of the world, are believed to have caused his act. Many times before he took his own life Saturday night he had been heard to say that he wished he could die.

The coroner’s inquest, held Monday morning brought in a verdict of suicide, in accordance with the facts as outlined. Johnson: rancher living a short distance out of the limits, alone in a shack with his brother who needed constant care and watching decided Satur­day that life held nothing more for him. So, with an iron bar, which he shaped so that he could pull the trigger of a shotgun with it, he fired the charge of the gun into his head, placing the muzzle of the gun in his mouth.

The body was discovered in the barn Sunday by the invalid brother, who rushed to the near­by ranch of George A Besaw, a friend and business adviser of Johnson, crying that his brother had gone crazy and shot himself. Besaw, who was Johnson’s closest friend in Santa Rosa, was the main witness before the jury, telling what he knew of the old man’s desire to leave this life and its many complicating worries.

Two small ranches are left by the deceased as his estate, and a small amount of cash. Special letters of administration in his estate, to care for the stock, were issued in the superior court Monday to F. H. Phillips coroner and public administrator.

The coroner’s jury was composed of W. N. Hughes, John E. Wright, S. J. Wolcott, R. A. Harris, Henry Shaffer and H. Renaud.

 

 

 

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Friday, March 8, 1940

 

OLIVER JOHNSON

Oliver Johnson died Wednesday at a local sanitarium where he had been confined for several years. A resident of Santa Rosa for twenty years, he had no known relatives. The body is at the Welti funeral parlors. Funeral services will be held today from the chapel with the Rev. E. E. Ingram officiating. Interment will be in Odd Fellows’ Lawn cemetery.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery

Hans’ Grave cannot be located due to lack of maintenance at that cemetery. Many headstones have deteriorated or have been vandalized and records of burial sites have not been found.