Samuel Richard Johnson is a native of Illinois, his birthplace being in Grundy county. He was born on August 8, 1876. His father, John Johnson, was a native of Sweden, and his mother, Christina Johnson, was a native of Norway. John Johnson migrated to America with his parents and located in Grundy county, Illinois. They lived there for several years, and there the parents died. In Grundy county John Johnson met and married the mother of the subject of this sketch. He rented land in that county. In the spring of 1881, John Johnson brought his family to Audubon county, where he obtained eighty acres of land in Sharon township, and began immediately to make improvements on it. In 1900 he retired from active work, and removed to Audubon, where he died in 1904. His widow still resides there.

John Johnson limited his work to farming, in which he was successful. In religious matters, he and his wife were affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a Republican. The family of Mr. and Mrs. John Johnson consisted of nine children, five of whom are living, namely: John P., a merchant and farmer of Greenfield, Iowa; Edward F., county supervisor, living in Audubon; Mary, who married Clarence Wildy, of Douglas township, this county; Samuel Richard, the subject of this biography; and Elmer, a carpenter of Atlantic, Iowa.

Samuel Johnson was educated in the schools of Audubon county, including a year's work in the Audubon schools. After his twenty-first birthday, he left home to spend three years in southeast Wyoming. The life of the ranch interested him, and he at first took up this picturesque occupation, but later left it for railroad work. Like his ancestors, he was fond of tilling the soil, and at the first opportunity to obtain some land for himself, he procured one hundred and sixty acres from the government and proved up on this homestead in the West.

In 1898, Samuel Richard Johnson was married to Cora Creasman, who was born in Wyoming, a daughter of Frank Creasman. The following year, they left Wyoming and returned to Audubon county, locating five miles southwest from Audubon. They lived for three years in Hamlin township, and then in Melville township for two years. Returning to Hamlin township, they resided there three years, when Mr. Johnson purchased his present farm of eighty acres in section 12, of Leroy township. This has become known as "the old Johnson place," and is one of the best improved properties of the county. The owner has been much interested in the raising of Shorthorn cattle, of which he has twenty head; Duroc-Jersey hogs, of which he has from fifty to sixty head, and draft horses. Besides this, he engages in all the industries carried on by the modern progressive farmer.

To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born four children, Orpha, Helen, Herbert and Floyd.

A man of modest tastes, Mr. Johnson has never been an office seeker. He always votes the Republican ticket. He is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge of Audubon, also of the Methodist Episcopal church, which his wife also attends.

Mr. Johnson's home is one of the landmarks of Audubon county, and has become so not only because of long residence there, but also because of the place he and his wife have occupied in the social and religious life of the community. Both he and Mrs. Johnson are delightful people to meet. They are genial in temperament, well informed, and kindly in spirit, qualities which win for them many friends.