Per Olaf and Anna Johnson immigrated to America in 1883 from Sweden. In a story that’s hard to imagine in today’s world, they sailed across the ocean to New York City, took a train to St. Paul and rode a steam engine train to Rush City. They had a peck of wheat, all their personal belongings and tools and walked six miles north of Rush City. On the voyage, their son Albert died.

There they found the 80 acres they would homestead. The site was solid woods. At age 25, Per Olaf cut down trees and built a 12” x18” log home. The next spring Per Olaf planted the peck of wheat between the stumps.

Anna and Per Olaf had four children once they homesteaded in Minnesota--Albert (named after the son who had died on the voyage on their way to America), Hamilet, Axel and Alma.

In 1908, Per Olaf purchased the Peter and Johanna Backlund farm. Today, 100 years later, his great grandson and wife, Jeff and Chris Johnson live on that same property. The Johnson farm, located one mile west of I-35 on Highway 70, recently qualified as a Century Farm in a program sponsored by the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Farm Bureau.

This farm owned by the Johnson family has been in continuous agricultural operation since 1908.

Axel and Lillie Johnson (Per Olaf and Anna’s son) purchased the farm in 1912. They built a new home from rough sawn lumber from the farm. One of their sons, Lonnie, took over the farm in 1940. He and Shirley were married in 1943, and they raised five daughter and three sons on the farm, including Jeff. Jeff purchased the home in 1986.

Jeff and Chris have four children, Isaac, 16, Mariah, 13, Jed, 11, and Shania, 8. These children all help on the farm and in the past few days, they just finished with the first crop of hay. They live in a home built on the property in 2001.

On Sunday, July 13, Chris and Jeff hosted a celebration. More than 120 family members came to reminisce about the century-old farm. Orange t-shirts saying, “one farm, one family, 100 years” were worn. There was a program where Lonnie gave a history of the farm and several relatives, both old and young, shared their memories. There was much laughter and conversation and getting caught up on each other’s lives today.

Jeff’s sister, Jody Karas wrote a song for the occasion titled “100 Years on the Johnson Farm.” One line says, “He (Per Olaf) was a hard working man, made his living off the land and started a legacy.” A few lines later the song goes on, “If Per Olaf were here today, it’s amazing he’d say. This is still the Johnson farm. A lesson to remember that the things we do, can last for generations.”

All the Johnson farm owners have been hard working people. In addition to farming, Axel had a trucking business hauling cattle to South St. Paul in a Model T truck. In 1937, he made a Model A pick up truck into a homemade school bus, and this was the first school bus to haul kids to Pine City schools. The route was to West Rock, Rock Creek and up Highway 61 to Pine City. Thirty students each paid $3 a month to ride to and from school.

Farming is “in the blood” according to Jeff. He said, “This is a good place to raise a family.” Though Lonnie is retired, at age 86 he still enjoys helping Jeff as much as possible. His wife, Shirley, said, “Lonnie loves to work on the farm. You can’t take that out of him. He loves it and enjoys it.”

With crops and dairy cows, there is always something to do. Chris, who grew up on a hobby farm near Pine City, laughs when she remembers thinking, “I disliked farming when I was young, and I was never going to marry a farmer. But, I started dating Jeff and then it didn’t matter. We met in high school, and we were high school sweethearts.”

Both Chris and Jeff enjoy working together, saying that is one of the benefits of their farming life.

It’s obvious that Jeff and Chris’ children have good feelings about farming. Jed talks about driving the tractor and unloading hay. Mariah talks about her dream to be Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Right now she is one of the 2008 Pine County Junior Dairy Ambassadors.

And, perhaps Isaac said it the best when he said, “I respect this family’s heritage. I’m the fifth generation. One hundred years is a long time to be part of something.”