Louis P. Johnson

LOUIS P. JOHNSON has spent his years profitably in Doniphan County, partly as a farmer, partly as a business man and partly as a public official. He now conducts the only hardware store at Bendena and is also the present postmaster of that town.

Mr. Johnson was born in Doniphan County January 16, 1870. His father, Claus Johnson, was born in Denmark in 1836 and was one of the early farmer settlers in Doniphan County. He came to the United States in 1865, and for a time lived near Racine, Wisconsin. In 1866 he removed to Doniphan County, Kansas, and was successfully engaged in farming there until his death in 1907. The old homestead, situated a mile and a half northeast of Bendena, contains 160 acres, and it is still owned and occupied by Mrs. Claus Johnson, whose maiden name was Belle Nelsen. She was born in Denmark in 1838 and is now nearly eighty years of age. Of her two children Louis is the older, while the son, A. O. Johnson, still farms the old home place. The late Claus Johnson was a strong old line republican and he and his family were members of the Lutheran Church.

Louis P. Johnson grew up on his father's farm, attended rural schools, and his higher education was acquired by one year in Highland College at Highland, Kansas, and in 1899, he graduated from Ritner's Commercial College at St. Joseph, Missouri. Until twenty-five years of age he was one of the family circle and an active worker on the home farm. After that for three years he was associated with P. L. Gray in the publication of the Severance News. He gave up newspaper work to become a farmer on his own account, and for ten years he managed his place situated four miles southeast of Bendena. He the traded his farm for his present hardware business at Bendena. He has an immense trade, covering a large district around the town, and carries a first class stock of hardware implements and other goods usually found in such an establishment. Mr. Johnson owns a store building and also his home at Bendena.

He has served as a member of the local school board, and was appointed postmaster in 1913 by President Wilson. Mr Johnson is a democrat, is a member of King Lodge No. 144, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Severance and Bendena Council No. 1716, Knights and Ladies of Security.

On March 3, 1897, at St. Joseph, Missouri, he married Miss Marie Anderson, also a native of Denmark. They have two children: Robert and Raymond. These sons are twins, born October 13, 1903, and are now getting their education in the Bendena public schools.

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