Johnson (Johanson)

George Peter & Vera Mary Adams Johnson

She was another of the original 1915 Church members, along with her newborn son, Reed Russell. She was married to George Peter Johnson but his records were not received or perhaps he was not a Church member. They also had a three year old daughter whose records were not received.

George was born January 20, 1887, in American Fork, Utah and Vera was born July 6, 1891, in American Fork to Alvin Francis and Margaret Christensen Adams. They were married July 26, 1910, and had four children: Georgia B., Reed Russell, Frances Velma and Coral L. Reed and Frances were born in Highland. In 1920 they were living in Salt Lake City. George died February 4, 1948, and Vera married Hyrum Burtran Parkin November 15, 1949. The following year they took a trip to Hawaii. Vera died in August, 1986.

13 Johnson, Peter, Jon Jonsson

(Number 13 on the 1958 Highland map - 6575 W. 10250 N.)

Niels Peter & Ardell Holman Johnson (Johanson)

Niels was another Dane who came to Utah and Highland as a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was born October 23, 1863, in Withane, Denmark to Peter and Christiana Jensen Johnson. He arrived in the U.S. in 1875. Ardell was born September 27, 1866, in Pleasant Grove, Utah Territory to John Greenleaf and Rachel Stevens Holman, a sister to Sarah Harmon (q.v.). Little is known of their early lives. They were married September 8, 1886, and their first child, Bertha Rachel, was born in June, 1887, in Pleasant Grove. They apparently moved to Highland shortly thereafter. Niels was constable in Highland in 1907. They had four other children born in Highland (Number 13 on the 1958 Highland map) before March, 1893: Milo P., Wilford Ray, Lawrence Elmer, and Belva Ardell. The mother, Ardell, died May 7, 1894, when her youngest was just fourteen months old.

On October 31, 1894, Niels married Jeanette (Janet, Jennie) Yates, daughter of William Yates, born February 27, 1870, and they had nine children, eight of them born in Highland: Tracy, LaVerd, Hazel Jeanette, Myrtle, Susie May, Verda, Alta J., Leo, Bessie (Betsy) Helen. In 1900 they lived in Highland, and in 1910 they had moved to Lehi where Niels was farming. In 1920 they were still in Lehi and he was a city fireman. Niels died in Lehi April 27, 1942, and Jeanette died April 15, 1932, also in Lehi. All three are buried side by side in the American Fork City Cemetery.

Nile Riding & Josephine Sarah Nelson Johnson

Nile was born May 5, 1922, in Cannonville, Utah to Samuel Smith and Thirza Riding Johnson. He married Beula Haws in July 1942 and they had one son, Douglas Nile and later divorced.

Jo was born March 14, 1927, in Welby, Utah to Lewis Edward and Sadie Louise Turner Nelson and grew up in Lehi. She married Loyd Norman Fillmore and they had one daughter, Juanita Elaine and later divorced.

Nile and Jo were married August 16, 1946, and moved to Highland (Number 88 on the 1958 Highland map) on forty acres straddling the Murdock canal. The home had been built by William T. Hyde II for his daughter, Ethel and her husband Ruel Markham. They raised tomatoes, peas and corn for the Pleasant Grove Cannery, along with strawberries, hay and a peach and cherry orchard. They also had a Grade A Dairy with seven cows. They had three children together: Ricky, Nila Jo and Jamie. In addition to his farm he managed to work for the Bureau of Reclamation for a few years and at Geneva Steel for 27 years, retiring because of a bad back. They later sold the 23 acres on the south of the canal.

Nile Johnson

In 1975 their home burned to the ground, an apparent result of an earlier lightning strike that they assumed must have damaged the internal wiring. They rebuilt on the same spot using a Boise Cascade prebuilt on a concrete foundation.

Josephine died at home June 11, 1998, and Nile died January 20, 2004. They are buried in the Lehi City Cemetery.

Source: HIGHLAND HISTORY: A compilation by Charles T Greenland II for the Highland Historical Society

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