Oluf Johnson was born in Brigham City, Utah, on October 24, 1869, to John and Anne Marie Nielson Johnson. Anne Marie was John’s third polygamous wife.
Since John was quite old when Oluf was born, it was Oluf who did many of the chores.
From the time he was little, Oluf had a “sweet tooth.” Once when he had 10 cents to spend, he bought a pound of sugar and ate it all. His family often saw him take a teaspoon of sugar out of the sugar bowl and eat it.
When Oluf was older, he hauled fruit from his father’s farm to outlying areas, sheared sheep in Wyoming, and helped construct the Bear River Canal. Oluf purchased some prime land near the canal where he built a house and a small barn, then planted hay, grain, beets, and a small orchard.
On June 25, 1902, Oluf married Annie White. The couple had eight children – five died at birth.
Granddaughter Helen Johnson Barton remembers Oluf letting her ride the “drag” when he was hauling apples from his orchard. She also remembers his irrigating and then coming into the house to rest on the floor in wet, dirty clothes with a soft pillow under his head until it was time to change the irrigation water.
For a man who had never been sick, it was a shock for Oluf to learn he had stomach cancer. He died on March 30, 1938, and was buried in Brigham City.
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