John Albin Johnson

            John Albin Johnson (known as Albin) was born Aug. 26, 1920 in Carmen , Manitoba . He grew up with one sister, Carrie Elizabeth. His father Jonas Elis Johnson (known as Elis ) and mother Eva Sylvania Pearson were both born in Sweden , and they each came over to Winnipeg , Eva with her family in 1906 and Elis with a friend in 1912. Elis did many different things to earn money, working on farms and lumber camps. Albin mentions that his father was “a wizard with the axe” from when he did bush clearing. He then homesteaded and started his own farm. Albin helped with farm chores at home.

            Albin married Gladys Taylor on June 23, 1956. Gladys was born in Regina Beach on April 24, 1921. She had two brothers. Her parents Henry Taylor and Ethel Miller were born in England , coming over after World War I to Regina Beach . Henry was a good farmer and gardener, and worked at the Dafoe Air base during World War II.

            Albin and Gladys lived at Nora when they got married. There they farmed some land and later started a dairy. They had twin boys, Martin and Richard, and a daughter, Louise. Unfortunately Richard had some health problems and had to leave the farm; they couldn’t take care of the dairy without the extra hands, so they sold it in 1994. Martin is living in Saskatoon , Richard in Calgary , and Louise here in Wadena. Albin has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He has been living on the farm at Nora for nearly 84 years, but is now retired and rents out his land. Gladys passed away in 1996.

            Albin has been quite dedicated to the community; he was on the wheat pool board for 47 years, was a delegate for the dairy board, he was also on the P.T.A., a Four-H leader, and was in a snow plow club that would plow out the snow for the school buses before the job was handled by the RM. He remembers having to walk to school through “snowdrifts, mosquitoes and mud”. He really enjoys making things that he needs around the house. We hope you can make for yourself some more good years yet to come.