The bi-annual Johnson Family Reunion was held at Storm Mountain Camp in the Black Hills June 16-18. The family has held organized reunions since 1974.
At the reunion were descendants of Ole and John O. Johnson, who filed the first homestead claim in Blendon Township, Davison County, in 1880. The brothers, along with their sister, Anna, and mother, Adaline, had emigrated from Norway in 1861, lived in DeKalb, Ill., for about 20 years, and then homesteaded in Dakota Territory.
About 80 relatives attended from Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Arkansas and South Dakota. Events enjoyed were campfire sing-a-longs, a selfie family scavenger hunt, a beanbag tournament, children’s games, hiking, a worship service, and a talent show. Descendants of the families of Alice, Jake and Josie, Olive, Ida and Martin, Annette, Otis, and Clarence were represented.
The organizing committee was Kent and Gay Swenson, Jim and Connie Feistner, Vicki Berg Linke and Janet Baysinger, all of Woonsocket. The next reunion is set for June 14-16, 2019, with site to be determined in the Black Hills.
The current committee members are remaining, along with new members: Laura and Kiley Medler and Patrick Brown of Rapid City; Joyce Brown of Black Hawk; Julie Doerr of Mitchell; Bev Johnson of Denver, Colo.; and Pauli Ann Jones of Flagler, Colo.