Annie White Johnson

Mary Ann (Annie) was born in 1876 to Sarah and Joseph Pratt. When she was two years old, her mother died. Because her father was overwhelmed caring for five sons and two daughters, Diana and Barnard White adopted Mary Ann when she was three years old. Thereafter she was called Annie.
The couple moved to a farm in Perry, Utah, when Annie was seven. Three years later, Diana died of typhoid fever. Since Annie’s father practiced polygamy, Annie then became part of his second family.
Since polygamy was prohibited in the territories, federally appointed gentile officers often conducted raids on suspected polygamist families. The White family was involved in the Mormon “underground,” and many men with plural wives sought refuge in their home.
One of Annie’s favorite visitors was polygamist Joseph Fielding Smith, who became president of the Mormon Church in 1901. He called Annie’s home “Camp Serene” and stayed there for weeks at a time from 1883 to 1887 as he was on the run from federal authorities. During Smith’s visits, it was Annie’s job during mealtime to watch from the upstairs windows for U.S. marshals and warn him if they approached. Smith told Annie he was never worried about being arrested when she was “on guard.”
In 1902, Annie married Oluf Johnson. They had eight children. Only three (all girls) survived to adulthood. Annie died in 1965.
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