Richard & Cathleen Johnson farm recognized as ‘Century Farm’

The Johnsons own 285 acres on the border of Clearwater and Polk counties -- close to the former town of Weme. The farm is located in a heavily wooded area and is near Sand Lake. Tillberg descendants live across the lake, and Dennis Hazleton has a cabin on Sand Lake.

When the Red Lake Indian Reservation ceded many acres to the federal government for settlement, the area was open to homesteaders in 1896. The land was free; however, settlers had to live on the 160 acres and improve it to earn a certificate of ownership from President Theodore Roosevelt. 

Claus and Caroline Johnson were both born in Sweden; however, they didn’t meet until they were both immigrants coming to Minnesota. They met in Minneapolis and married. Claus bought 99.72 acres from Pete Paulson in 1914. Claus homesteaded land one mile away and this became part of their farm around 1900. Claus and Caroline raised three children -- Myrtle, Elmer, and Hazel. 

According to Richard, “Grandfather Claus owned the farm from 1914-1933, then sold it to my dad Elmer who farmed it from 1933-1974. Claus hired a man to help clear the land, which was heavily overgrown with trees. Claus’ wife, Caroline, died in 1917, and he never remarried. Life as immigrants was difficult.”

Weme was their hometown. In its early days, Weme boasted a creamery, hardware & grocery store, and a gas station (when cars became popular). Richard’s father, Elmer, raised chickens, pigs, cattle, and horses. “There were five of us kids, and we had plenty of work to do around the farm,” he continued. “My grandfather Claus and his family traveled around by horse and wagon. There were no vehicles around and muddy trails for roads. Later, in the 1930s, they bought a vehicle. I remember it as a big old Midnight Blue Hudson. Dad let me drive the tractor, but not the Hudson. What I remember about Grandpa Claus is that he talked Swedish a lot with a few English words added. My older brother learned Swedish, but I never did.”

Richard graduated from Clearbrook High School in 1963, and Cathleen graduated from Bagley High School in 1966. Cathleen said, “My parents rented a house from Oak Park Lutheran Church. It was close to Weme, so all the Weme people became friends. Richard’s family and my family had known each other for a long time. Richard and I knew each other all our lives. Richard joined the U.S. Navy for four years. When he returned home, we started dating because I had grown up during his absence. We were married September 1966 and will celebrate 50 years next year.”

In 1974, Richard purchased the farm. After the service, Richard and Cathleen lived in Minneapolis and returned home on weekends to farm. Elmer and Hazel moved to Bagley where they lived for 20 years.

Richard noted, “We moved here in 1993. We’ve lived here longer than any of the other places. I worked for Beckman Instruments for 25 years and retired at age 50 to move to the farm. We had always wanted to come back and live on the farm, so it was a dream realized. We raised beef cattle, but sold them five years ago. We now raise small grains such as oats, wheat, and barley. This year’s crops are looking really good right now. We raise a really big garden. We donate the produce to the Bagley Senior Citizen Center and to family members. Cathleen cans enough to eat over the winter. We also donate produce to our two children and their families.”

Cathleen has worked outside her home for the Midway Care Center in Fosston and as a full-time receptionist for the Leader Record newspaper in Gonvick -- a job from which she recently retired. She explained, “Richard helps me with the garden as much as he can. Our juneberry bushes were plucked clean by the birds. We had to devise a mesh cover to keep away bears, coons, and squirrels. We have wire mesh to protect our garden from deer. Deer can cause a lot of damage. Our electric fence keeps out bears. We share some of our produce with the wildlife.”

Both of them enjoy studying history and geography and have traveled a lot to Canada, Arizona, and Tennessee. They love to visit family and friends. For their 50th, they plan to go to Hawaii and later to Alaska. They enjoy their century-old farm very much.