Johnson branch

Overview of the Johnson family tree

Johnson family overview

The Johnsons: Our Johnson history began with Pieter Jansen. Pieter Jansen (b. 1839, d. 1895) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and migrated to the United States as a mariner around 1860. In the United States he changed his name to Peter Johnson. He enlisted in the Union Navy during the Civil War. His family lived in Oswego, NY and later moved to the Tonawanda, NY area. He was a sailor and a ship's captain on the great lakes for much of his career.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Oswego-Buffalo, NY

My later Johnson ancestors lived in the Buffalo area until the 1940s and 50s, with a brief excursion to Ontario, Canada in the early 1920s.

My father was Harold Johnson, and his father was Alfred Johnson (grandson of Pieter).

Peter, Augusta, Henry and Lena Johnson ca 1865

My own Johnson family moved to Lemon Grove, CA in 1951 and my grandparents and aunts and uncles soon followed. My uncle Kenny led the way by moving to San Diego in the 1940s.

San Diego, CA in 1950

The Duegers: The Dueger (Düjer) family immigrated from Northern Germany. In Germany they lived on a small farm in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The wife of my great-grandfather Peter Johnson was Caroline (Lena) Dueger, who immigrated to the United States in 1872. She and Peter Johnson married in 1892 in Tonawanda, NY.

Mecklenburg, Germany

Johnson ancestor surnames

For more information

Additional resources from our family history knowledge base (books, papers, web posts, and records): For more information