Erick Johnson Papers

Erick Johnson was born October 16, 1905, to Anton and Jenny Jonsson in Ränneslöv Parish, Halland County, Sweden. He grew up on their farm where they raised mostly potatoes and rye. In 1918, he left the farm to search for work elsewhere in Sweden. In 1928, he immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he worked various jobs at local farms. In 1939, Johnson moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to try his hand at construction work. That same year, Johnson married Dorothy Wright (July 3, 1939). They bought a farm south of Michigan, North Dakota. During World War II, he was stationed at naval ammunition depots in Hawthorne, Nevada, and Hanaford, Washington. After the war, Johnson continued in the construction trade, working at Air Force bases including some in foreign countries. One of his most memorable construction projects, 1952-1953, was at a large Air Force base in Morocco. Erick Johnson died May 28, 1990, at the age of 84.

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