The Johnson House, owned by the Johnson family, was the leading hotel & boarding house in Newberry for decades. The child shown 2nd from the far right is my great grandmother, Alma Alena Johnson. She would later marry George Emil Mattson & share six children. My own name comes from mixing my grandmother's name of Lucille with her mother's name of Alena. Lucille/Alena = Salena. This same photograph can be seen in our, "Newberry Michigan" gallery.

Two of Salena's great grandparents migtrated from Finland. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the only geographical area of the country where the majority of the populous are able to claim multiple Finnish ancestry. They take it very serious. This same photograph can be seen in our, "Newberry Michigan" gallery.

A young Fin riding for "his people" in the Newberry parade. This same photograph can be seen in our, "Newberry Michigan" gallery.

This is the Johnson marker in Forest Home. It marks where William, his wife, Alena & one of their daughters rest. I've no idea what the writing on the bottom means.

Close up. As I've stated, I've no idea what the writing on the bottom means.

Was born on 12 December, 1869; the 3rd of seven children, & the eldest son born to, Karl Johann Johannssen & his wife, Greta Stina Johannsdotter. We're not sure when he anglicized his name, nor when he migrated to the United States. However, we do know that in 1893, in White Cloud, Newaygo, MI, he married, Alena Barnes. Together, this couple would share four children. William suffered from breathing issues, currently believed to have been tuberculosis. For that reason he located to Denver Colorado, just after the turn of the century. It was there he died on, 22 October 1902. He is buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Shown above is the only known photograph of, Antalena Barnas, also known as, Alena [Barnes] Johnson. My own daughter, Hazelmarie Alena Rosina, gets a portion of her name from this woman. She was born 23 August 1872 in Kristinastad, Vasai, Finland. She was one of nine known children, six of them daughters, born to, Johann Aaron Barnas, & his wife, Maria Halena. She married William Johnson in 1893 and shared four known children. After her husband's death in 1902, she worked & helped to run, the JOhnson House in Newberry for many years afterwards.

Antalena [Barnes] Johnson died in Newberry, Luce, MI on 01 March 1944. She's buried in, Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry.

Known locally as Timber Charlie's. Both Salena Marie & Hazelmarie have had their pictures taken in front of this building. This same photograph can be seen in our, "Newberry Michigan" gallery.

Class picture, 1909 - 1910

Alma was the eldest of four children born to, William Victor Johnson & his wife, Alena [Barnes] Johnson. She was born in, White Cloud, Newaygo, MI on 23 March 1984. In Newberry, Luce, MI, on 15 February 1915 she married, George Emil Mattson. Together this couple shared six children. Above we see Alma in a shot dated 1909.

This is the coolest shot. I presume this is a wedding photograph, however I don't honestly know. I scanned it from a box of pictures I found in the closet of my grandparents home. It shows, Alma Alena [Johnson] Mattson and her husband, George Emil Mattson.

Another photo of this fine couple.

Shown above is the 50th wedding anniversary party for, Alma Alena [Johnson] Mattson, and her husband, George Emil Mattson. This scan is of poor quality & I'm sorry about that. I didn't have a very good scanner when I scanned these, and I do not own the originals

Once again, a scanned photograph of my great grandparents, Alma Alena [Johnson] Mattson and her husband, George Emil Mattson.

Above we see Alma Alena [JOHNSON] Mattson, with her daughter, Dorothy Esther Mattson. This photo was scanend by, Salena Marie [ROBINSON] Mann.

Above is the family gravestone for the Mattson family. It's located in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Alma died in Newberry, Luce, MI on 15 April 1969. She's buried with her husband in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

George died in Newberry on, 23 July 1974. He rests next to his wife in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Lucille Alena Mattson was the eldest child of six born to, George Emil Mattson & his wife, Alma Alena [Johnson] Mattson on, 01 September 1918. In a double wedding ceremony, She married, Harold Everette Robinson in Newberry, Luce, MI on, 06 July 1944. The other couple was Harold's brother Herman & his bride, Irene [Lyski] Robinson. Together, Lucille & Harold would share seven children.

Shown above is a photograph of Harold Everette Robinson & his bride, Lucille Alena [Mattson] Robinson. The original reads on the back, "Wedding Photo". Since they were married 06 July 1944, that's when we presume this shot was taken. Harold & Lucille were married in a double wedding ceremony with his brother, Herman Wesley Robinson & his own bride, Irene [Lyski] Robinson. Salena Marie [Robinson] Mann is in possession of an original copy of this photograph.

What a wonderful photograph. Our only disappointment is that it's so small. Above we see Lucille Alena [Mattson] loved on by her husband, Harold Everette Robinson. I love this one.

This shot was taken around 1965. From left to right we can see, Harold Everette Robinson, David Arthur, JoAnne Esther, Sandra Lee, Roy Raymond, Harold Everett Robinson II & Lucille Alena [Mattson] Robinson. This shot was donated by Harold's daughter, Amy Lynn [Robinson] Piar.

The original copy of this shot reads, "Oct 1965". From left to right we can see, Roy Raymond, David Arthur, Donna Lou, JoAnne Esther, (holding Sharolynn Ann Macomber) Harold Everette, Harold Everett Robinson II, & Lucille Alena [Mattson] Robinson. This shot was donated by Harold's daughter, Amy Lynn [Robinson] Piar.

Here we see, David Arthur Robinson pinning a corsage onto his father's lapel, on his wedding day. Shown above, left to right we see, Harold Everette Robinson, his wife, Lucille Alena [Mattson] Robinson, and their son, David Arthur Robinson, on the day of his wedding to, Lois Marie St. Clair.

This was taken of the two families on the wedding day of their children. Both David Robinson, and his bride, Lois Marie [ST. CLAIR] Robinson, were the youngest of seven children born to their respective parents. Wow.

Shown above are David and his siblings, sans his elder sister, Sandra "Sandy" Lee [ROBINSON] Stever. This shot too, was taken 14 August 1976, in Newberry.

This shot was taken around 1976. It shows Harold Everette Robinson, his wife Lucille Alena [Mattson] Robinson, their children & grandchildren. It was donated by, Amy Lynn [Robinson] Piar, daughter of Harold Everett Robinson II.

This is a shot of Harold Everett Robinson & his wife, Lucille Alena [Mattson] Robinson, during a celebration for their 50th wedding ceremony. They are surrounded by some of their grandchildren & great grandchildren. I have absolutely no idea who is who here, except a couple of people. Harold & Lucille are obvious. My wife, Salena Marie [Robinson] Mann, is shown second row, far right. Her brother, David Arthur Robinson Jr., is pictured top row, second from the left. This shot was donated for our use here by, Amy Lynn [Robinson] Piar. Thanks Amy.

Shown above is Salena Marie Robinson with her paternal granbdparents, on the night of her Sr. prom. Salena Marie Robinson is the daughter of, David Arthur Robinson & his wife, Lois Marie [St. Clair] Robinson. Shown above, left to right is, Lucille Alena [Mattson] Robinson, Salena Marie Robinson, and her grandfather, Harold Everette Robinson.

We're guessing about the year of this photograph, but if we're not excatly correct, we're pretty close.

Scanned from a newspaper artle about one of the organizations Lucille belonged to.

Shown above is the gravestone of, Lucille Alena [Mattson], Robinson. My own daughter, Hazelmarie Alena Rosina gets her name, Alena, from her great grandmother, Lucille Alena. She rests in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Esther Amanda Sofia Johnson was the second child, and the second daughter born to, William Victor Johnson and his wife, Alena [Barnes], Johnson. She was born on 28 February 1896 in Cecil Lilly, Michigan. On 03 July 1935, in Newberry, Luce, MI she married, Alexander Erickson. Esther died in Newberry on 27 January, 1939. Her and Alex Erickson had no children.

Shown above is the only photograph we have of, Alex Erickson. He died on 12 February 1987. According to cemetery records, he's buried in Forest Home, but not with Esther. We can only presume he'd remarried.

The gravestone for, Esther Amanda Sofia [Johnson] Erickson. She rests in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Walter was the third of four children, and the only son to be born to, William Victor Johnson and his wife, Alena [Barnes] Johnson. He was born in Newberry, Luce, MI on 28 August 1898. In 1924 he married, Viola Nieme. Together this couple would share one known child, a daughter. Walter died in Newberry on, 04 August 1955. He is buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry.

Viola married, Walter Victor Johnson in 1924. Togteher they had one daughter; Mary.

Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Ingrid Lenore Johnson was the youngest of four children born to, William Victor Johnson and his wife, Alena [Barnes] Johnson. She was born in Newberry, Luce, MI, on 25 October, 1901. In Newberry, on 29 September 1925 she married, Peter W. Swanson. Peter would often translate letters from Finland for his brother inlaw, George Emil Mattson. The letters came written in Swedisch, a language, strangely unfamiliar to George. Ingrid & Peter swanson shared two children together; a daughter and a son. Ingrid Swanson died in Newberry, Luce, MI in May of 1995. She's buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

This stone represents the family marker for, Victor Charles Johnson, his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson, and their children. It rests in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Also known as, Victor Charles Johnson, was the fifth child of seven. He was the third son born to, Karl Johann Johannssen, & his wife, Greta Stina Johannsdotter. He was born in Skutnaeba, Pedersore, Finland on, 23 June 1874. He migrated to the United States in 1892 & sometime around 1898 married, Amanda Barnas. Amanda was the sister of, Alena [Barnes] Johnson, wife of Victor's brother, William. Yes, brothers married sisters. Together, Victor & his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson would share eleven known children. That's alot of Johnson's folks. Victor died in Newberry, Luce, MI in 1951. Both he & his wife, Amanda are buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry.

Amanda was born in Kristinastad, Vasai, Narpes, Finland in 1877. We do not know when she & her family migrated to the United States. We know that in 1898, presumably in White Cloud, Newaygo, or Newberry, Luce, MI, she married, Victor Charles Johnson. With Victor she would share eleven kown children. She is buried with her husband & several children in the Johnson Family Plot, in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Michigan.

Dagnas was the eldest child of, Victor Charles Johnson & his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson. The notes I read state that Dagnas was a daughter. However these same notes read that Dagnas was also the town pharmacist for Newberry. I have my doubts about a town pharmacist being a woman, during that time period. The truth however, is that we simply don't yet know. What we do know is that Dagnas was the eldest of eleven children, and is buried in the Johnson Family Plot, in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry. Dagnas was born 11 December 1899 in Ashland, Ashland, WS & died in Newberry, Luce, MI on 05 June 1968.

William Victor Johnson was the second child of eleven, & we believe the first son, to be born to, Victor Charles Johnson & his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson. We only know his information from these gravestones. He was born in 1903 & died in 1969; we know not where. We presume that in or around 1928, he married, Zaida R. Both are buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI, in the JOhnson family plot.

John E. Johnson was the third child & second son born to, Victor Charles Johnson and his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson. He lived only two weeks & is buried in the Johnson Family Plot, Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Mable was the fifth child of eleven & the second daughter to be born to, Victor Charles Johnson & his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson. We have this picture & what little information, thanks to the notes of, Lucille Alena [Mattson], Robinson. We know that she married a man named, Mr. Kalnback & was living in 1970.

Conrad F. Johnson was the sixth child of eleven & the fourth son born to, Victor Charles Johnson & his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson. We do not know where he was born or where he died. Everything we know was gathered from this gravestone in the Johnson Family Plot, Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Helen A. Johnson was the eighth child of eleven & the fourth daughter born to, Victor Chares Johnson & his wife, Amanda [Barnes] Johnson. She died at two months old & is buried in the Johnson Family Plot, Forest Home Cemetery, Newberry, Luce, MI.

Shown above is a contemporary photograph of the town of Karleby, Finland.

Finland