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Ragna Jemaima Johnson
1875 - 1964 (88 years)-
Name Ragna Jemaima Johnson Born 14 Jul 1875 Kaafjord, Alta, Finnmark, Norway 
Gender Female Died 25 Jan 1964 Logan, Cache, Utah, United States Person ID I3817 Speirs-Taylor Last Modified 21 Oct 2015
Family Heber Chase Maughan, b. 30 Aug 1869, Logan, Cache, Utah Territory, United States , d. 30 Jul 1944, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 74 years) Married 26 Jul 1891 Logan, Cache, Utah, United States Children 1. Retta L. Maughan, b. Apr 1892, Utah, United States 2. Bessie Pearl Maughan, b. Sep 1893, Utah, United States 3. Ada Naomi Maughan, b. Feb 1895, Utah, United States + 4. Bryan Heber Maughan, b. 5 Aug 1896, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States , d. 30 Dec 1980, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States (Age 84 years)5. Margith Ragna Maughan, b. 1903, Utah, United States , d. 1978 (Age 75 years)6. Eldred Chase Maughan, b. 1904, Utah, United States , d. 1915 (Age 11 years)7. Peter Alton Maughan, b. 1905, Utah, United States , d. 1978 (Age 73 years)8. Irma Virginia Maughan, b. 1907, Utah, United States , d. 1998 (Age 91 years)9. Paul Johnson Maughan, b. 1909, Utah, United States , d. 1996 (Age 87 years)10. Lois Evelyn Maughan, b. 1912, Utah, United States , d. 1994 (Age 82 years)11. Richard Johnson Maughan, b. 1917, Utah, United States , d. 1981 (Age 64 years)12. Gordon Johnson Maughan, b. 14 Apr 1919, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States , d. 29 Jun 1920 (Age 1 years)Last Modified 22 Oct 2015 Family ID F1181 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Event Map 
Married - 26 Jul 1891 - Logan, Cache, Utah, United States 
Died - 25 Jan 1964 - Logan, Cache, Utah, United States = Link to Google Earth
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Documents 
1900 United States Federal Census for the Heber and Ragna Maughan Family
Event Type Census
Event Year 1900
Event Place Logan city Ward 1-2, Cache, Utah, United States
HOUSEHOLD-ROLE-GENDER-AGE-BIRTHPLACE
Heber C. Maughan Head M 31 Utah
Ragna Maughan Wife F 25 Norway
Retta L. Maughan Daughter F 8 Utah
Bessy P. Maughan Daughter F 7 Utah
Ada N. Maughan Daughter F 5 Utah
Bryan H. Maughan Son M 4 Utah
"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMRJ-DVH : accessed 22 October 2015), Bryan H. Maughan in household of Heber C. Maughan, Logan city Ward 1-2, Cache, Utah, United States; citing sheet 2A, family 28, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,241,682.
1910 United States Federal Census for the Heber and Ragna Maughan Family
Event Type Census
Event Date 1910
Event Place Logan Ward 1, Cache, Utah, United States
HOUSEHOLD-ROLE-GENDER-AGE-BIRTHPLACE
Heber Maughan Head M 40 Utah
Ragna Maughan Wife F 34 Norway
Retta Maughan Daughter F 18 Utah
Bessie Maughan Daughter F 16 Utah
Ada Maughan Daughter F 15 Utah
Byran Maughan Son M 13 Utah
Margith Maughan Daughter F 6 Utah
Eldred Maughan Son M 5 Utah
Alton Maughan Son M 4 Utah
Virginia Maughan Daughter F 2 Utah
Paul Maughan Son M 0 Utah
"United States Census, 1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMBM-NW8 : accessed 22 October 2015), Byran Maughan in entry for Heber Maughan, 1910.
1920 United States Federal Census for the Heber and Ragna Maughan Family
Event Type Census
Event Year 1920
Event Place Logan, Cache, Utah, United States
HOUSEHOLD-ROLE-GENDER-AGE-BIRTHPLACE
Heber C Maughan Head M 50 Utah
Rajua J Maughan Wife F 44 Norway
Bessie P Maughan Daughter F 26 Utah
Margith R Maughan Daughter F 16 Utah
P Alton Maughan Son M 14 Utah
E Virginia Maughan Daughter F 12 Utah
Paul J Maughan Son M 10 Utah
Lois E Maughan Daughter F 7 Utah
Richard J Maughan Son M 2 Utah
Gordon J Maughan Son M 0 Utah
Bryan H Maughan Son M 23 Utah
"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8PZ-2Y6 : accessed 22 October 2015), Bryan H Maughan in household of Heber C Maughan, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; citing sheet 19A, family 392, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,861.
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Notes - A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF RAGNA JEMAIM JOHNSON MAUGHAN
"God moved in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform."
"In the northern part of Norway, far within the Arctic Circle, the sun never goes down during midsummer, but hangs like a huge orange balloon suspended above the earth, giving light by night --not like the golden sunlight of day, but bright enough that no artificial illumination is required. In this beautiful land or crags and fjords, a little girl named Petra was born, lived, and grew to womanhood."
With the above paragraph, Ragna Johnson Maughan began the story of her life. She often marveled at the chain of events that brought her to Logan, Utah, from far off Norway. She told how Peter 0. John- son, her father, sailed a fishing vessel belonging to his uncle, Ole Saltvik, into the Arctic region of northern Norway and met Petra Harmine Omann, her mother, at Kaafjord in the land of the midnight sun.
Peter wooed and won her. They were married in the Church of the Virgin --Lutheran --and Peter took her away to his home in Ytteroen, an island off the coast, many miles to the south.
Peter's father, mother, brothers and sisters, lived on this beautiful isle where the father, Olaus, worked as a shoemaker. He made boots for the sailors and fishermen, and fine shoes for ladies and children. Uncle Arnt returned to Ytteroen as a missionary many years after the family had come to Utah. He found the landlord still wearing a pair of boots Claus had made for him.
The family lived on this large estate owned by a landlord whose many tenants helped with the harvest and the haying and rendered other services for the use of the homesite .
Page 2
The following summer, Peter rushed Petra back to Kaajford so Petra could be with her mother when their first child, Ragna, was born, July 14, 1875. So another little girl, Ragna, was born in this land of the midnight sun, at the home of her Grandmother Omann. Ragna's mother told her she was almost born on the boat.
Ragna's first three years were spent with her parents at the home of her Grandparents, Olaus and Karen Johnson, on the Island of Ytteroen.
After her sister Margith was born, the family was evicted from their horne, because they had joined the Mormon Church. Ragna remem- bered her mother setting her down beside the baby, bundled up warmly, on the leeward side of a large rock to protect them from a cold wind that was blowing. Her mother told her to "mind Margith" while she went back to the house to carry more things down to the boat.
Ragna remembered the new house that was built in Trondhjem, across the fjord. She remembered the shoeshop downstairs, and the apartment of the old couple who said, "Takk for maten" -- thanks for the food -- after each meal, instead of before it. She remembered the rooms for the missionaries up- stairs, and the assembly hall for Church meetings, and the singing.
Peter and Petra and two little girls also lived upstairs. From their front window, Ragna could see the small Bodine boy on his bright red sleigh, whizzing down the hill that sloped gently past the house. One time, she borrowed that sled without permission, and her mother sent her right over to apologize to Mrs. Bodine.
Page 3 (starts in the middle of this paragraph)
Ragna remembered: "across the floor of the shoe shop, was a row of large, round smooth stones. The wet leather was laid over these, then hammered until it was soft and pliable. One afternoon, Elmer was hard at work over a piece of leather. It became too dry to work, so he took it out to the vat to dampen it
again. While he was gone, Annie and Lina took his chair to stand Ragna on, so they could pin parer lace ruffles on her pantalettes. Elmer came back and not noticing his chair was gone, sat down hard on the floor".
In the year and a half they lived in Trondhjem, Petra took Ragna with her on her trips to the market. Holding Ragna by the hand, they crossed the river on one of the beautiful arched bridges to call on a friend.
Ragna wrote in verse her remembrance of such a visit.
To My Mother by Ragna
Once upon a time in a far off land,
A little girl you held by the hand.
You walked along by a great ocean wall
On the other side, cliffs and mountains so tall.
Then a pleasant white cottage came into view
At the door stood a beautiful lady to welcome you.
The cottage was cozy, so comfy and neat
And the daintiest things on the table to eat.
The little girl stood on tip toe to see
The table, so temptingly set for tea.
Tiny cookies ana everything grand
At the tea party, where the little girl went
Holding her Mother's hand.
(see photograph view from Peter and Petra's home)
She also remembered trying to help her mother sew doll clothes by the light of the midnight sun, during a visit to the Omann's in Kaafjord.
A misty, lilac-scented veil hung in splendor over that morning in June, 1880, when Peter and family left for America. Olaus and Karen, Annie, Lena and the boys smiled bravely through their tears as they hugged and kissed Ragna and Margith goodbye. John, Peter, Petra, Ragna, Margith, Oley and Martha Severtsen, made up the Johnson party of emigrants. They sailed steerage on a steamship. Their food was furnished them. Ragna remembered the sea biscuits, the cheese and the tea. She put her hands on the rail, and said, "Look, Papa, I'm rocking the boat". "It was fun, the people were kind and pleasant." The children slept in bunks.
Page 4
They landed at Ellis Island after three weeks on the ocean. Ragna remembered sleeping on the train seats, as they crossed the continent
on the Narrow Gauge Railroad. She remembered the peanuts "papa" bought.
When the group arrived at the bright red box-like depot in Logan, there was no one there to meet them, due to a misunderstanding.
Mother tells of their arrival: "We arrived in Logan on the fifth day of July, 1880, at 2:00 A.M. There was no one at the station to meet us, and being strangers, we knew not where to go to find our relatives, my father's brother and sister. Mother spread a heavy shawl on the bench in the waiting-room for Margith and me to lie on, for we were very tired and sleepy. My sister was not quite three years old, and I was nearly five. Some workmen in the yard finally got word to Uncle Lorentz.
He and Aunt Olova's husband came to take us to Aunt Olova's house located on South Main, on the banks of Logan River. The men led the way, carrying a lantern. Papa carried Maggie, but I walked all the way with the grown-ups from the Railroad Depot on the west side of town, to Logan River on Sixth South and Main Street, in the middle of the night, along narrow paths crowded with weeds that clutched at Mother's skirt at every step.
Aunt Olova made beds on the floor for some of us, and it was so good to take our clothes off at last, and stretch out in bed, after the long days spent cramped up in a railroad coach all the way across the continent from New York to Utah."
Page 5
They stayed at Olova's one or two days, then moved to Uncle Lorentz's log house on Sixth North and Main. They probably walked that distance, too.
Peter and his brothers went to Montana to work on the railroad, leaving Petra and the children, and Martha, alone most of the winter. Petra was alone the night of September 24, 1880, when Alma was born. She put Maggie to bed in the early evening, then said to five year old Ragna, "Now you sit here by Maggie's bed and if she wakes up, don't let her cry. I am going over to Sister Cronquist's, but will be right back." Sister Cronquist was the nearest neighbor and Scandinavian. They returned, put Ragna to bed, and a new baby arrived that night.
Peter and family moved to a house in a closed court, near the old tithing office. Tailor Hansen owned a shop at one side of the entrance to the court, and the tithing office was on the other side. It was also the telegraph office.
They later moved to Skanchy's house on the west side of Main Street, below the hill across from Jeppson's store, later Bench's. Sometime after Agnes was born at Skanchy's in June, 1883, they built a new house on Sixth South. Ragna was nine or ten years old.
Ragna said: "Father bought some books and taught himself to read the English language. He also bought books for me, and taught me to read from various school readers --Lippincottts Fourth Reader - Bancroftts Fourth Reader --Independent Fifth Reader. I also learned in Sunday School, by using the New Testament which had English and Norwegian translations. Father also taught me mathematics up to and including long division."
Page 6
"On the third of May, 1884, two immigrant children , a boy and a girl, were baptized in the Little Logan River that flowed through the Brigham Young College Campus. The little girl with blond braids, was Ragna, the oldest daughter of Peter and Petra Johnson of Trondhjem, Norway. The little boy was John, oldest son of Anna Widtsoe, also from Trondhjem."
"Now, if my Grandfather Olaus Johnson had not been evicted from his home because of his faith and testimony of the Gospel, he might never have built a shoe shop and meeting house in Trondhjem. And if my Grandmother Karen had not been a firm believer in the truths of Mormonism and put the tract, 'The Voice of Warning' in the shoes which were delivered by Uncle Arnt to Anna Widtsoe, Anna Widtsoe might never have been led to investigate the Gospel, and come to America."
"My Uncle Arnt, who is now 93 years old (1961), still testifies that being forced to leave Ytteroen Island was the best thing that could have happened to the family. They were in Trondhjem when the Lord had need of them. They prospered in every way, and were led to this promised land."
"At eleven years of age, I was Secretary of the Sixth Ward Primary. I also taught in the Sixth Ward Sunday School."
"I went to the B.Y.C. Grade School, beginning with the Fourth Reader. I went the last term in the spring, then again the last term the next spring. Then the next spring, in the intermediate department. I had about thirty weeks of schooling at the B.Y.C. Grade School. This constituted my scholastic education."
Mother was very observant, and was constantly adopting correct forms and usages and absorbing current topics, until her grammar and diction were better than some college graduates. She made constant use of the dictionary. Her learning never ceased. From childhood, she educated herself.
She did the shopping for her mother, walking the two miles to town and back. At Reading's butcher shop, she often saw an old gentleman, William Preator, who had a hook in place of one hand, and carried his purchases in a bucket. She did not know that one day she would marry his grandson, and live in his house.
On Decoration Day, the boys and girls of the town would walk to the cemetery, and pick wild flowers along the way to decorate the graves.
Page 7
"When I was fourteen, Father gave me $5.00 to pay for a three month's course in dressmaking, from Lydia Haws. After this course, 1 went out to sew by the dav. I received fifty cents for eight or ten hours work. I also did the sewing for my family."
Ragna's best girl friend was Dora Hansen, who lived on the north east corner of Third South and Main Street. They took dressmaking lessons at the same time. Lydia Haws' shop was in an unfinished brick house on Third South, almost a block east of the Hansen home.
Heber Maughan and Will Davis often called for the girls in the evening, some times staying to play cards in the shop. On Sunday nights, the four of them attended Church in the Sixth Ward.
When Heber was only sixteen, he went to Montana to do grading on the railroad for Pond and Hendricks Company, sending his money home to his mother. Now, in the summer of 1889, he was doing farm work in the Valley, haying, harvesting, and rounding up cattle. He went to school in the winter.
The two couples used to walk along Nlain Street, or down Center Street to the Depot, to watch the trains come in. "There was nothing much else to do." Of course, there were dances in
Providence, and suppers afterward. Will Davis furnished his father's sleigh for winter transportation. In the summer time, they usually walked. They once had their pictures taken, with the girls holding the peacock feather fans the boys had given them.
In 1890, Dora and Ragna took painting lessons from Niiss Cassidv. She suggested they double up on the lessons, but pay for only one. Ragna's pastels were very good. One of her many talents was that of painting. From which of her ancestors did she inherit that gift?
Ragna was very busy with her dressmaking, turning out beautiful dresses with fitted, lined and boned bodices, leg-of-mutton sleeves, and long gored skirts.
Ragna and Heber were married on July 26, 1891. This was about a year after Dora and Will were married. Heber was working for Co-op Wagon and Machine Company. Ragna was just sixteen years old .
They rented a small new house from J. Z. Stewart, on First East near Fourth South. Here, Retta, their first little daughter, was born in April, 1892.
Page 8
Heber's Grandmother Preator, had. been living in a log house located on some propertv belonging to Heber, between First and Second South on First East. When she died, September 5th, 1892, they moved into the log house at 138 South First East.
In December, they moved to Cache Junction with Grandpa and Grandma Crookston, where Heber worked with his step father. After six months they moved back to the log house in Logan. Here, Bessie, Ada, and Bryan were born, in the next few years.
Ragna worked in the Primary, and she continued with her dress making for customers, as well as keeping her children attractively clothed.
Heber was called into the mission field in 1900, and Ragna accepted the responsibility and burcen of caring for the family while he was awav. The custom sewing she did to support her family, kept her working far into the night hours.
She had been taught to be frugal and resourceful, and these attributes helped her to perform miracles with food, cooking, canning, interior decorating, entertaining, study, and all the arts of making a home and raising a family.
In 1902, she became a councilor to Connie Thatcher, President of the old First Ward Primary. When Connie married, Mary Blood Linford became President. Ragna continued as councilor. For many years, she was Secretary of Relief Society, with Clarissa McAlister as President.
In the years that followed Heber's return from his mission, he resumed work with the Telephone Company, then began working for the new Logan City Light and Power System.
Eight more children were born to them -- Margith, Eldred, Alton, Virginia, Paul, Lois, Richard, and Gordon.
Page 9
When the Eleventh Ward was formed, Ragna became first councilor to the President of the Relief Society, from 1920 to 1923. Then, she was President of the Relief Society from 1923 to 1937. She was released after seventeen years, to become a Temple Officiator, which position she held for eighteen years.
She was a charter member of the Joseph Smith D.U.P. Camp, the first camp organized in Logan. Through her efforts as Captain, the drinking fountain in front of the Tabernacle was installed. She and Heber composed the inscription, and Heber offered the dedicatory prayer. The base of the fountain is made of stones that were once part of the old stone wall that surrounded the old Tithing Office, near which Ragna had lived when a child.
She was the third President of the Utah Municipal League Auxiliary, and later parliamentarian for many years.
As a public speaker, she had considerable ability, and had spoken at the funerals of many of her friends.
She was a wonderful cook and hostess, and her attractive, hospitable home was the scene of hundreds of happy gatherings. Her neighbors, friends and family all welcomed the many delicious gifts of food she liked to make and give to them. One time, when she was past eighty years of age, and we were all worrying about her being alone in Logan, she wrote that she had just made a batch of bread and had taken some of it to her neighbor who wasn't feeling very well.
She was very independent and self-reliant, insisting that she could manage alone after father died, July 30th, 1944. In March, 1962, she fell and broke her hip, and was never able to walk again. Her family visited her often, and were always welcome.
She endeared herself to all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and they will long remember the happy times in that sunny home.
After living alone for nearly twenty years, Mother died at the Logan Hospital at the age of eighty-eight and one half years. For Seventy two years, she had woven love and grace and dignity into her surroundings, and was happy that she could spend her last years in the home she loved so well.
Father and Mother were both living examples of honesty, truth, and righteousness. They taught their children to walk in the path of righteousness, and to love the principles of the Gospel with its promise of joy and exaltation in a future life together.
Degraw, David. "A Sketch of the Life of Ragna Jemain Johnson Maughan." FamilySearch. Web. 21 Oct 2015.
- A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF RAGNA JEMAIM JOHNSON MAUGHAN