02 Sep Hibbing

Showing Narpes, Finland just across from Sweden … and coincidentally, just north of Stockholm and the island of Gotland.

John Alfred Bernas and Helena Gustava grew up in Narpes, Finland — a section of Finland where only Swedes reside and where primarily Swedish is spoken to this day. Their families were farmers, and life was hard. John Alfred came to the U.S., the “land of opportunity,” in 1907.

Ten years later, he changed his last name to Johnson because he thought “Bernas” sounded too German.

By 1918, Helen had come over, and they were married and living in Hibbing, a mining town located on the iron range in northern Minnesota. Immigrants from all over Europe were drawn to Hibbing for the opportunity of working for the prosperous Oliver Mining Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel.

That is where Alfred, as he was customarily called, was working. He and Helen purchased a company house in North Hibbing near the largest Open Pit Mine in the world. In 1921 a daughter, Hedvig Elizabeth, was born, followed by her brother Hedley and sister Ruby.

Hedvig Elizabeth Johnson in 1939 ~ Hibbing High School

Hibbing was a melting pot for all the European immigrants — Czechoslovakia, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ireland, Greece. All kinds of foreign tongues were spoken, and they had friends of every nationality.

The depression years hit hard. To feed and clothe the family was a constant struggle. They always kept a garden (as well as a potato garden rented from the mining company) … chickens, eggs, homemade rye bread (never, ever white fluffy bread) and a gallon of milk every day.

After graduating from Hibbing High School, Hedvig entered Hibbing Junior College and graduated from their business school. It was 1939. Hedvig was able to work part time in the school library, but there were no suitable jobs available in Hibbing for a young secretarial school graduate.

Then Germany invaded Poland. Our country began gearing up for what was to become another World War …

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