BIO: Walfrid JOHNSON, Clearfield County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Sally Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm _____________________________________________________________ From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr., Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 878 & 879. _____________________________________________________________ WALFRID JOHNSON, who has been engaged in a general mercantile business at Lanse, in Cooper township, Clearfield county, Pa., for the past sixteen years, was born April 28, 1867, at Lidkoping, Sweden, and is a son of John and Eliza Johnson. The parents of Mr. Johnson were born, reared and married in Sweden and there the father died. The mother still survives and is now aged seventy-three years. She was married second to Carl Sunberg, who is now in his seventy-ninth year and they reside with Mr. Johnson. The latter has one sister, Mrs. L. J. Anderson, who is a resident of Allport, Pa. Walfrid Johnson landed at the port of New York, from Sweden, on June 5, 1887, and came thence to Clearfield county, Pa., finding employment in the Morrisdale mines. He made his home at Allport and worked four years in the mines but after being sick there for several years, in 1895 he came to Lanse. He had very small capital at this time but the place was just started and he was the first merchant and managed his early business affairs so well that he prospered and is now the leading merchant in the town. He served ten years as postmaster and then resigned that office in order to give all his attention to his business. He erected his business house and carries a large and carefully selected stock. His standing is high in business circles and his signature placed at the bottom of the legal paper now possesses value. He has every reason to take some pride in his success as it is the result of his own unaided efforts. In 1891 Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Catherine Olson, a daughter of Olaf Olson, of Allport. Mrs. Johnson died in the summer of 1904, having been the mother of four children, namely: Rudolph, Anton, and Ebba and Annie (twins), the last named dying at the age of four months. Mr. Johnson was married secondly in September, 1906, to Miss Mary Lyon, a daughter of Andrew Lyon, of Cooper township, and they have one son, Iver Walfrid. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church at Lanse. In politics he is a Republican and has served as a member of the school board of Cooper township. He is actively interested in all that concerns this section and is a well known and influential citizen.