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Encompassing
all or part of the present Oklahoma counties of
Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne.
If your family
lived in the Thank you for sharing your family histories with others.
This Family Story is from Cheryl Johnson...(Note: Updates follow this story!) About 5 years ago, I got interested in my family tree. I had heard a romantic story of a Swedish ancestor who met an Irish lady on a ship on their way to America. They met and fell in love and were married as soon as reaching Boston. It sounded so romantic and that is the line that I wanted to start with. I called my Grandmother who put me in contact with an Aunt I had not seen since I was very young. She was interested in Genealogy. So, I called her up and she seemed to be happy that I was interested in Genealogy also. She told me everything she knew about the Swedish man and I began my search... The first thing I did was to go to Chandler, Oklahoma and visit the historical society there to see if I could find this man's grave, which was supposed to be in an old abandoned cemetery out in the woods. The lady there was so helpful and pointed me in the right direction. I had to walk about a mile out in the woods through very thick pine trees and briars. I was about to give up, thinking I would never find this old cemetary when I started seeing headstones everywhere. I had been told he had a very elaborate, tall headstone and when I came through the trees and stepped into a clearing the first grave my eyes hit was the one I knew was his! When I looked at this grave and saw Lars John Johnson written upon his headstone, he became so very real to me. His grave was elaborate for back in the late 1800's! It had a castle engraved on it with his name, birthdate, place, death date and at the bottom it said..."Yet when the body and the tomb are dust, still survives the memory of the just." I was even more fascinated with him, for I had heard he had spent time in prison... And here is his story.... Lars Jönsson was born Nov. 27, 1828 in Katslosa, Sweden. He had an older brother named Bengt Lundgren b. 1818. Bengt became a very influential member of the Helsingborg, Sweden City Council and would play (we suspect) a very influential part in his baby brother's life. Not much is known about Lars' childhood except his family, we assume, was poor and were often lodgers with other families. Lars' mother died by the time Lars was 12 years old. At the age of 15 his life took a very bad turn. On the evening of July 11, 1843 a group of seven people, five men and two women (Lars was the youngest) came to the house of a farmer just outside of Lund, Sweden. They robbed him and then killed him. The main goal was the robbery, the killing wasn't planned. They were caught by the police shortly afterwards. He was sent to Landskrona prison. Before trial he had to spend 28 days on bread and water. He escaped October 27 and was put on the wanted list October 31. He was caught and brought back to prison. Now his punishment was two hours in neckirons and 40 whiplashes. He also had to pay for the damages. On May 30, 1844 he stood trial for participating in manslaughter and robbery and was sentenced to be beheaded. On the same day King Oscar I changed his sentence to life in prison instead. I have heard that King Oscar I worked to improve the prisons and treatment of prisoners. We also believe that Lars' influential brother had somethng to do with the Kings decision. In 1858 the same king pardoned Lars to be released under the obligation that he had to work and live with his brother. He was released May 26, 1858 after 14 years in prison, most of his youth! In January 1859, Lars worked his way to America on a ship, and we suspect he jumped ship upon arrival. Back in that time persons were required to have "moving licenses" to leave Sweden. He is put in the records as "moving 1859" but place unknown. He did not have permission to leave the country. We have not found out how he met his wife but know he married in Boston on Feb. 18, 1859. He married an Irish lady by the name of Mary O'Conners. They lived in Mass. for a few years, then in Peoria, Ill., then a Swedish settlement in Kansas before coming to Lincoln County in 1893. He bought a piece of land and raised three sons there. One son, Ben Johnson, my great grandfather and Lars' youngest son, married into the Payne County Collier family, the sister of Daniel Wheeler Collier, Banker, who helped found Sparks, Oklahoma. I don't know much about Lars' life after his arrival in America. I am still working on this part, but I think this man's story is an interesting part of the history of our state, even though no one but me and my Aunt know about him. I find it fascinating that this man lived through a miserable 14 years in prison, went through tortures, the trip over, the romance, part of settling Indian Territory and the 1897 cyclone that destroyed much of Chandler. There is a man in Sweden who is writing a book about my Lars' life right now. Lars Jönsson died Nov. 28, 1898 in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. From
the Chandler News, Dec. 2, 1898. "Lars J. Johnson died at the home of his son, Ben Johnson, southwest of Chandler, on Tuesday morning of this week. Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden in 1828, but came to this country when 30 years of age settling in Boston and afterwards removing to Illinois. In 1869 he removed to Kansas, settling first in Davis County and afterwards in Butler County. He came to Oklahoma five years ago and has since then lived in the Kickapoo country. The editor of the News has been personally acquainted with Mr. Johnson and esteemed him for his many good qualities. He leaves a wife and three sons. Two of his sons, Ben and J.F. Johnson, live in this county. His other son, L.B. Johnson, lives in Los Angeles, Cal., and reached here just before his father's death. Mrs. Johnson and her sons desire us to express their gratitude for the many acts of sympathy and kindness on the part of their neighbors." *************************
************************* Oklahoma gave my great-great-grandfather a fresh start in life. I have heard that there are some remains of his old homestead and I think I have found it but still need to have this confirmed! ************************* 06/14/99: ************************* 7/26/99: Subj: Lars Johnsson and the poem Dear
Cheryl,
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