"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"
John F. Johnson, assessor of Amo township, Cottonwood county, and proprietor of a well-kept farm of eighty acres in that township, is a native of the kingdom of Denmark, born on June 25, 1866, son of P. C. and Caroline (Anderson) Johnson, both natives of that same country, who came to the United States with their family in 1874 and located at Minneapolis. Six years later, in 1880, P. C. Johnson came to this part of the state and homesteaded a tract of eighty acres in Amo township, Cottonwood county, where he established his home and where he spent the rest of his life. He was an excellent farmer and as his affairs prospered added to his original homestead a quarter of a section adjoining, thus becoming the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres. He and his wife were the parents of six children, Andrew M., John F., A. W., Christian, Charles and Emma.
John F. Johnson was about eight years old when he came to this country with his parents and he was about fourteen when the family moved from Minneapolis to Cottonwood county. He received his schooling in the public schools of Minneapolis and early learned the carpenter trade, which trade he followed at Windom and elsewhere hereabout for four or five years after coming to this part of the state. He later equipped himself with a threshing outfit and during the threshing season made a specialty of threshing throughout the neighborhood. For years his chief interest has been farming. He has a well-kept and profitably cultivated farm of eighty acres in the Storden neighborhood and is one of the best-known residents of that part of the county. He has ever taken an active interest in local civic affairs and for fifteen years has served the public as assessor of Amo township, a position he now holds. For many years Mr. Johnson conducted the store and postoffice known as the Amo postoffice and store. This business was conducted until the town of Storden was established at the time the railroad was built through this section. Later the postoffice was also transferred to Storden.
In 1892 John F. Johnson was united in marriage to Augusta Grenager, who was born in Norway and came to America with her parents when quite small, settling in Wisconsin. To this union three children have been born, Chester, Mabel and Agnes. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a proper part in the various beneficences of the same, as well as in the general good works of the neighborhood.