1909-1911 Autograph Album of Edna Johnson of Bethel, Minnesota

1909-1911 autograph album of Edna Johnson of Bethel, Minnesota.   The album appears to have sentiments from Edna's fellow students, perhaps her teachers and a few others, including her sister Jennie.

Edna didn't sign her name in the album, but, conveniently for me, one signer, who I believe was Mr. L. E. Ridge or Mrs. L. E. Ridge, inscribed a page to "Edna Johnson".

The album measures approximately 8-1/4" x 5" and contains the sentiments of 39 of Edna's friends and sister.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.

From online research, hopefully correct:  [corrections and additions welcome!]

Edna Johnson was born February 2, 1887 in Minnesota, the daughter of Swedish immigrants John and Johanna Christina (Swanson) Johnson.  It appears that Edna's mother died sometime between 1900 and 1910.

Edna's older sister Jennie inscribed a page as "Your Loving Sister Jennie".

The Mrs. Erickson and Mrs. Norling who shared a page signed on March 13, 1911 at Bethel, Minnesota, may have been Edna's teachers.

On March 12, 1914, Edna Johnson married John Jacob Rathbun.  They settled at Anoka, Minnesota, and raised at least one child, a son.  Edna and John both died in the 1970s.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact you directly.

Surnames

?	J	R
? [9]	Johnson [2]	Ridge [3]
B	L	S
Barcelon	LaDuke	Sam [2]
C	M	Settle
Chandler [2]	Meline	Settle
Chester	Mitchell	Swanson
D	N	Sweigard
Daigle	Norling [3]	V
Day	P	Veith
E	Paradis	W
Emmons	Peters	Widmark
Erickson	Peterson	Y
H		Young
Hvarfven

Signers in the album       [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?

• M. R. R. signed on August 23, 1911
• A. S. C. or A. S. G., signed on December 30, 1909; mentioned word "brother"
• G. M. C., signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 31, 1909
• N. C. D., signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on June 9, 1911
• N. E. R., signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 19, 1909
• Eunice L., signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on April 8, 1911
• "Dan the fiddler", signed on February 2, 1911
• Alice Meline, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on February 2, 1911.  Was Meline a middle name or a surname?
• Hattie C., signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on April 8, 1911

B

• Georgia Barcelon, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on January 22, 1910

C

• Florence Chandler, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on January 22, 1910
• Gladys Chandler
• Emma Chester, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on March 3, 1910

D

• Minnie Daigle, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 30, 1910
• Edna Day, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on March 3, 1910

E

• Genevieve C. Emmons, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on August 20, 1909
• Mrs. Erickson, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on March 13, 1911; shared the pge with Mrs. Norling

H

• Esther Hvarfven, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on March 3, 1910

J

• Edna Johnson of Bethel, Minnesota; album owner
• Jennie, "Your Loving Sister; Jennie Elizabeth Johnson, born August 2, 1875 in Sweden; married Swedish immigrant Ernest Julius Larson

L

• Ethel LaDuke, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on June 16, 1911

M

• Alice Meline, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on February 2, 1911.  Was Meline a surname or a middle name?
• Mrs. F. Mitchell, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on February 2, 1911

N

• Mrs. Norling, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on March 13, 1911; shared the page with Mrs. Erickson
• Tillie Norling, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 30, 1909
• Mabel Norling, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 30, 1909

P

• Ozete Paradis, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 30, 1910
• Alena C. Peters, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 30, 1909
• Alma Christina Peterson of Bethel, Minnesota, signed on December 30, 1909

R

• Mr. or Mrs. L. E. Ridge, signed on February 2, 1911.  If Mrs., she could have been Lizzie E. Ridge, wife of Howard R. Ridge
• Mary Ridge, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on March 14, 1910
• Bertha L. Ridge, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on April 7, 1910

S

• John Sam, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on February 2, 1911
• Alma Meline Sam, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on February 2, 1911
• Mrs. R. Settle, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on December 30, 1910
• Mr. Mory Settle, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on February 2, 1911; or perhaps Mr.[s] Mary Settle
• Delia Swanson, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on January 23, 1910; possibly related to Edna, as her mother's maiden name was Swanson.
• Bertha Sweigard, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on March 22, 1910

V

• Jennie Veith, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on February 2, 1911

W

• Ruth Widmark, signed at Bethel, Minnesota, on August 10, 1910

Y

• Mrs. Mattie Young of Bethel, Minnesota, signed there on March 3, 1910

Bethel, Minnesota

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