BioA: Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard (Golden - 1979)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Johnson, Cole, Householder, Prust, Haupt, Myhrwold, Jollivette, Verhulst, Noeldner

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/21/1979

Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard (Golden - 11 June 1979)

It was June 11, 1929, when Lois Cole and Leonard Johnson stood before Rev. Daniel Householder in the home of her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Beder Cole, at Butlerville (south of Thorp) and repeated vows of matrimony.

Dr. Cole was a country doctor serving the Town of Butler and surrounding area in those days. Leonard was the son of the late Simon (Sam) Johnson, who resided in a Norwegian settlement northeast of Greenwood.

The bride was born in the community of West Lima, Richland Co. She graduated from the Greenwood High School and then attended Eau Claire Normal (now UW-Eau Claire). She taught two years in Benjamin School and four more at LaTart. After her marriage, she did some substitute teaching and was an aide at Memorial Hospital and Memorial Home in Neillsville. She now does mission work for her church in addition to piecing quilts and crocheting rugs.

Living on the “home place” of his parents, Leonard worked part time for an uncle, who was in charge of the Greenwood Telephone Company. They have a 1908 wall phone restored from the days when there were 18 on a party line. He recalled that during the depression years, many times there was only the subscriber on the many-circuited lines. The couple moved in 1967 to 106 N. Main St. Greenwood.

Although Leonard has passed his 80th birthday, he hasn’t given up telephone work, working part-time answering the phone in a telephone office next door. He likes to watch ball games on TV and play cards. Keeping up the custom of successful hunting since 1922, Leonard makes use of a special permit since he had his leg amputated three years ago.

The Johnsons have one daughter, Mrs. Harold (Vera) Prust, of Plymouth. Of their four sons, their mother says they are all ‘wire minded” as three work for telephone companies and one for an electric company. They are Dale, Eau Claire; Sam, Crandon; Harry, Greenwood; and Ray, Cadott. There are also 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The Johnsons were members of the Trondhjem Church, which later merged with Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.

An open house was held at Our Savior’s Church with Harry Johnson as master of ceremonies. Of those attending, Mrs. Harold Haupt, Elkhorn, the only surviving attendant, and her husband came for the celebration.

During the program, the Rev. Arvid Myhrwold, former pastor of the church, continued the friendly Norwegian banter of bygone days with singing a song in Norwegian for the honored couple. He and his wife also sang a duet accompanied on his banjo.

In addition to the reminiscing by family members, two nephews, the Rev. Norbert Jolivette and the Rev. Harold Verhulst, recalled their youthful days with the Johnsons. Harry Johnson and his wife Eleanor (Noeldner) also sang for the celebration.

Following the program, guests visited in the church hall until dinner for the 180 guests. In the evening, some 20 more signed the guest book at an open house held at the Johnson home.