April 2, 1898

The Johnson's immigrated to this country in two waves, three family members in 1889 or 1890 and three other family members in 1891. Of course their surname was not Johnson. It was Jansen, pronounced Yahn-sen. As you know many immigrants names were Americanized at some point in time when they left their homeland.

I didn't realize that my grandfather had other brothers and sisters until I looked at the 1905 Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, Wisconsin census and found several of the brothers and their families living near each other. Most important of this find was that my great-grandfather, Christen Johnson, was living with my grandfather, Christian Cornelius Johnson.

In tracing the descendants of one of the Johnson brothers I located a previously unknown second cousin, living in Florida. After several exchanges of letters she supplied me with several documents, one of which was a very old and well worn typewritten ancestor chart that was compiled by a Reverend C. Albert Wattner of Closter, New Jersey in conjunction with Grace Olena Watner Spalding. It appears this chart was done in the mid 1940's. On this chart was the name of Grace Olena Watner Spalding's father, Henry Watner. There were a number of errors on this ancestor chart but it was an excellent starting point. One must realize that there weren’t as many good records 50+ years ago as there are today.

Census records from 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1910 yielded this information on HenryWatner.

Additional information from other descendants of the Johnson clan yielded an interesting find. Zacharias Wathne was one of the founders of Ephraim, Door, Wisconsin.

Zacharias Christophersen and his two boys went to Door County, WI along with Gabriel and Malene and their surname was WATHNE. Zacharias was one of the founders of Ephraim, WI. The following is a passage from the booklet on the founding of Ephraim.

"It had been agreed that each settler who intended to build a house could have one lot fronting on the water and another one in the rear, if he wished it, and the price fixed on each of the small village lots was $ 4.00. The following five men were the first to erect houses at Ephraim, their names being given in th correct order of sequence: ZACHARIAS WATHNE, Abraham Aanesen, Andrew M. Iversen, Hans Peder Jacobi and Henry Johnson. All of the new houses were occupied before the close of the year 1853, with the exception of that of Johnson whose house was not completed until the spring of 1854. The pioneer population of Ephraim consisted of five couples, four unmarried men and four children, a total of eighteen people. The dwellers on the island are not included in this total.

Thus Ephraim came to be."

Another passage in the book stated....

"In Feb. of 1853, Three men, pursuant to Ole Larson's invitation, set out from Fort Howard on their long journey over the ice to investigate the claims of the vicinity of Eagle Harbor as a possible site for the contemplated settlement. The three men were Rev. A. M. Iversen, GABRIEL WATHNE and Abraham Aanesen. At Sturgeon Bay they were joined by Melchior Jacobs, who was considered a good judge of land."

The most compelling piece of information was also from my second cousin in Florida and that was of a transcribed Norwegian 1851 letter from Zacharias Watner to his father in Norway describing the journey from Stavanger, Norway to New York. The letter is signed Zacharias Christophersen Wathne. Wathne or Watne is a farm name used by the populace to tell the difference between people with the same name.

http://www.norwayheritage.com Then scroll down on the left column to "Recommended Reading", click, and click "Surname-farm name".

The letter below clearly shows a typewritten and handwritten notation by Grace Watner Spalding indicating who Henry Watner is.

COPY OF LETTER WRITTEN BY ZACHARIAS WATNER ( OR WATHNE) OR (WATNE)

TRANSLATED FROM NORWEGIAN BY C. ALBERT WATTNER (REV.) of Anderson Ave. Closter, N.J.

(a retired minister who has worked on the Watner genealogy going as far back as the 1400 hundreds.)

June 1, 1851

Christoffer Svendson Watne

We came happily to New York the first of June this year. We had a pleasant trip to America. Our dear Savior was merciful and kept us from all danger and harm. We got a good breeze as we left from Stavanger, which lasted about 14 days, but then we got storm and contrary wind a couple of days, and good weather again and the wind variable so that it went fast with the trip. We were aboard 5 weeks on the trip. Sunday, April 27th we sailed from Stavanger and Sunday, June lst, we arrived in New York. With the seasickness it went fairly well. Jan Hendrig (this was my father, Henry, says Grace) became entirely well in a few days. With Christopher it lasted 8 - 10 days before he became entirely well. Malene did not get well until we arrived. She was sick off and on, but now is well, and all are well and active. The sail trip went off well without danger, but a very strange thing I must tell you: The time we came to the eastern Newfoundland Banks we saw 8 great Icebergs. They seemed like off the foresale boom(?). We calculated they could be about 200 feet high. That you may not believe, but we think so. Yet none of them was nearer, than one mile (Norwegian or sea mile) from us. We are living, God be praised, all well and in good health.

Wednesday, June 4, we shall in God's name continue the trip inland. The price is about 4 dollars for each person. All is well on board. Captain Clausen is a good man, he is a good sailor, friendly and accommodating. Now I have no more to write except best wishes from me and my children. With love from us to father, mother, and "soskend" (brothers and sister) and also to Grandma Borhaug, (Mobre and Moster) (Mother's brother and mother's sister).

Our Lord and Savior's grace be with us and all of you.

Gabriel and Malene wish to be remembered to Reinert and all "soskend." etc. etc.

Zacharias Christophersen Wathne

(This is my Father's (Henry Watner) father and my grandfather. Grace Watner Spalding)

It was not difficult to find the name of the ship and passenger list by noting the date on the letter.