Notes:

Johannes attended the common schools in Sweden until he was about 15 or 16. He may have been a bit wild in his younger days. Johannes, his wife Johanna, and their two children immigrated to the US in 1869. They were with a group of about thirty other families from the same province, including Johannes' brother Magnus They stayed for a short time with the N. B. Berggren family, who were from the same area in Sweden. The Berggrens had settled by Silver Creek, around Mead, NE, in 1867. The newly arrived immigrants probably made the Berggren farm home base while the men checked out possible homestead sites. While there, Johanna died in childbirth and was buried on that farm. Johannes homesteaded in Richland precinct in Sa Saunders County, 2 1/2 miles southwest of what was later called Swedeburg. During the 1869-70 winter, six men including Johannes and Magnus, one woman, and Johannes' two children lived in a dugout on the homestead. They had acquired horses and a wagon in Omaha, and also had an axe, spade, a small stove, washtub, two boards which were probably used as a table and other small articles.

Both Johannes and Magnus needed wives so in 1870, they went to Minnesota where the Swan Deidrick family, probably neighbors from Sweden, were living. Swan Deidrick had four eligible daughters, one of whom was named Ellen (Elna). Johannes married Ellen and Magnus married her sister, Betsy. Ellen had typhoid which killed her father and another sister but recovered after her trip to Nebraska.

There were many hardships endured in getting started on the farm. Johannes worked for a short time in 1870 for the railroad in what is now Lincoln. During that time, the family lived in a tent near Johannes' work. Ellen pastured their cow on land that is now part of the University of Nebraska. Johannes' homestead farm consisted of 80 acres. Being financially able, he subsequently purchased 80 more acres of railroad land.

Ellen's first pregnancy resulted with twins who died and were buried on the farm. Johannes and Ellen were both religious and were founding members of Swedeburg's Grace Lutheran Church in 1870. The first services were improvised and some of theem were held on the farm. From 1875 to 1909, Johannes was postmaster and the area mail was initially delivered to the farm. In 1883, Luther College was established in Wahoo with a board of directors consisting of five ministers and four laymen. Johannes was one of the laymen, borrowing money on the farm to contribute to the college's establishment. Johannes was also on the board of directors and a stockholder of the Swedeburg State Bank.

Johannes farmed and raised livestock for several years. He usually had a hired hand or two working on the farm. He bought the general store and grain elevator in Swedeburg which the family ran for several years. Their daughter, Theolina, wawas known for her business acumen and carried on many of the business dealings behind the scenes. At one point, Johannes, Ellen and their children lived in a residence on top of the store, while Johannes' son Anton lived on and operated the home farm. Around 1906, Johannes, Ellen and their family built and moved into a house west of the home farm while their children Herman and Agatha lived on the home farm.

Johannes was a straight forward man and afraid of no one. He was adventuresome and did not hesitate to take chances in business. He was a big man, about 6 ft. 2 in. He speculated in farm land, and was known to have bought land without making a cash down payment. He probably owned about 1000 acres of land in the area, although not at the same time. He left his wild days in Sweden and led a personally severe life. Upon his death, Augustinus inherited the home farm, Herman inherited the farm west of the homestead, and Anton inherited a third farm. Ellen was a frail woman, very religious and loved children. In addition to her own family, she brought up Johannes' two children from his first marriage, her granddaughter Hilda from 1906-1908, and also raised a foster child Ruth Henrickson.

Family/Spouse: Ellen Diedrick. Ellen was born on 17 Apr 1840; died on 8 Jan 1918 in Saunders County, Nebraska; was buried in Grace Lutheran Cemetery, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Hulda Theolina Erickson was born on 6 Oct 1875 in Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska; died on 17 Apr 1936 in Muscatine, Iowa; was buried in Grace Lutheran Cemetery, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska.