Johan and Sophia Ahmanson
(1827 - 1891) and (18? - 1894)
Johan Ahmanson was born on April 7, 1827, in Smaland, Sweden. At age six he was taken to live with a farmer, for whom he worked until age eighteen. He became a master bookbinder and emigrated to Denmark in 1849. There he was recruited by the Mormons, who sent him to Norway as a missionary. While in jail there for his religious activities, the jailer's daughter, Greta Sophia Fielstad, fell in love with him. Upon his release from jail, she followed him to Copenhagen, where they married in 1853.
In 1856, Johan and Sophia came to America with their infant son and a party of immigrants, landing in New York City and traveling by train to Iowa City. Johan was in charge of one of the Scandinavian "Hundreds" - part of a Mormon handcart company from Iowa City to Salt Lake City via the Mormon grounds at Florence, north of Omaha. They endured terrible hardships during this trek, arriving in Salt Lake City in November, 1856. During the winter of 1856-57, Johan became disenchanted with the Mormons. That spring he and his family joined a wagon train headed east to Missouri.
The Ahmanson family returned to Omaha in 1859, where Johan engaged in several occupations. He was a hardware merchant until 1867, then entered the grocery business. He also published a Scandinavian newspaper. In his 40's, he studied homeopathic medicine in Chicago, returning to practice in Omaha until his death in August 1891. Mr. Ahmanson represented Douglas County in the Eighth Nebraska State Legislature and was highly regarded as a leader of the Republican Party.
Historic marker dedicated on May 29, 1989
Courtesy hmdb.org
