The birthday girl for today’s story was born and baptized in Perry County, Missouri, but spent most of her life living in the state of Minnesota. This girl would also carry a surname that is a common one in our German Family Tree, but yet her family does not appear to be historically connected to the others in this area who carry that surname.

Rosa Albertina Vogel was born on August 30, 1895, so today would be her 130th birthday. Albertina was the daughter of Edward and Rose (Triller) Vogel. Albertina’s father was reportedly born in St. Louis, but his Vogel family migrated to Perry County prior to the 1880 census, so compared to other Vogel’s in East Perry County, this family arrived in this area later than the Vogel’s that arrived so much earlier. Then Albertina’s parents were married at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg in the early 1890’s. Albertina was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. Her baptism record is pictured here.

Albertina is never found in a census from Perry County. Already prior to the 1900 census, her Vogel family migrated to the state of Minnesota. In the Vogel census entry for 1900, they were living in the Lawrence Township in Grant County, Minnesota. Albertina’s father was a farmer. Included in the household was Albertina’s Uncle Fritz, who was helping his brother on his farm. You can see that the youngest of Albertina’s sisters was just a matter of months old, yet she was born in Missouri. The Vogel’s must have moved to Minnesota shortly before this census was taken.

During the next decade, the Vogel’s must have moved again. In the 1910 census, we find the Vogel’s living in the Campbell Township in Wilkin County, Minnesota. That sounds like they may have moved quite a distance away, but it really was quite close to where they had lived in 1900. Albertina was 14 years old, and her father was still farming.

The last census in which we find Albertina prior to her getting married was the one taken in 1920. Once again, Albertina had relocated, this time to the Monson Township in Traverse County. Albertina’s younger sister, Cora, had married Samuel Cawelti prior to 1920. Albertina was living in the Cowelti household along with two other unmarried sisters, Helen and Florence. Albertina was said to be “working out” for a private family.

Albertina would get married during the next decade, so we will now look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Walter Clarence Johnson, who was born on March 29, 1898. Walter was the son of Peter and Bina (Carlson) Johnson. I located these two photos of Walter’s parents.

Walter was born in the Monson Township in Traverse County, Minnesota. He is found in the 1900 census living in that location at the age of 2. Walter’s father was a farmer.

Next, we find Walter in the 1910 census at the age of 12. The Johnson household had gotten to be quite large.

Walter had his World War I draft registration completed when the United States got involved in that war. He is given a White Rock, South Dakota address, but since he was registered in Wheaton, Minnesota, he was likely living in that state. This form says he was farming with his father.

The map below shows the locations of White Rock, South Dakota and Monson Township, Minnesota. You might also notice that North Dakota is found just north of White Rock. The boundary between Minnesota and the Dakotas in that location was the Boix de Sioux River.

In the 1920 census, Walter was 21 years old and still living at the same place. His father had died in 1917, so his mother was the head of the household as a widow. Walter’s older brother, Elmer, was called the manager of the farm, and Walter and another brother, Fritz, were called farm laborers.

Walter Johnson married Albertina Vogel on June 17, 1925 at Augustana Lutheran Church in White Rock, South Dakota. Their church record below says that both Walter and Albertina were from White Rock, although I found no other evidence that they ever resided in South Dakota.

Walter and Albertina Johnson had just one child, a daughter named Delphine, who was born in 1927. In the 1930 census, we find the Johnson’s living in the Monson Township, and Walter was a farmer. In addition to their young daughter, included in their household was Walter’s brother, Fritz, and Albertina’s sister, Florence.

The 1940 census shows the 3 Johnson’s, along with a hired hand named George Lesher.

Walter had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. He is given a Monson address on this form, but his wife is given an address of White Rock, South Dakota. Go figure!

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Just Walter, Albertina, and Delphine were listed in their household.

Perhaps it was about this time that the Johnson’s had this photograph taken.

At a later time in their lives, we see Walter and Albertina standing in front of their home in Minnesota.

I am also able to show this picture of Walter Johnson.

Both Walter and Albertina lived very long lives. Albertina Johnson died in 1993 at the age of 97; Walter Johnson died in 1997 at the age of 99. These two are buried together in the Graceland Cemetery in Boisberg, Minnesota.

The Johnson family in this post lived in Minnesota, but traveled across the Boix de Sioux River to attend their church in South Dakota. When I lived in Memphis, Tennessee, there were several members of our church who lived just across the border in Mississippi. My wife grew up in western Minnesota about 170 miles south of where the Johnson’s lived. Her family would often travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, mostly to do Christmas shopping. Around here, many folks from Illinois come across the Chester Bridge that spans the Mississippi River to Perry County, not to attend church services, but to buy the cheaper gas they find in Missouri.