William R

My name is William R. Johnson and I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1947. I have lived in Maryland, Maine, Illinois, Minnesota and New York State. I graduated from High School in Bel Air, Maryland in 1965 and attended college in Minnesota. I am, and always will be, a proud patriotic Democrat.

I graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1969. I graduated from Southern Illinois University with a M.A. Degree in 1971. Finally, I graduated from Hamline University School of Law in 1979, cum laude.

My background is primarily English but Jill's is German and Swedish. Minneapolis is a beautiful city and we both love it here despite the winters. We currently live in Plymouth, Minnesota which is a western suburb of Minneapolis.

Jill S. and William Johnson

I am currently the Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings in St. Paul Minnesota. I am currently a member of the following heritage societies: National Society, Sons of the American Revolution; National Society, Sons of the Revolution; Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge, and Swedish Colonial Society. My maternal ancestor is Hill Freeburn who married a Martha Glyn in Philadelphia in 1768 and subsequently settled in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

My paternal ancestor is William Johnson who came to St. Mary’s County, Maryland sometime before 1668. Through Hill Freeburn's wife Martha I can now trace my lineage back to Joran Kyn, who came to New Sweden in 1643.

Hamline University - Old Main

Riley Johnson

Jill Susan Rigelman Johnson is a native of Minnesota, having been born in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1949. She graduated from high school in Red Wing and attended Hamline University where we first met. She is also a graduate of the Masters in Business Administration program from St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She recently retired from the firm of Somerset Asset Management in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Needless to say Jill is the financial brains of the family and previously has worked at Well Fargo Bank and Gelco Corporation here in Minneapolis. Her ancestors include some of the early settlers of the Goodhue County area of Minnesota including Red Wing and Welch, Minnesota.

British Spitfire with "Churchill"

We live in Plymouth, Minnesota, a western suburb of Minneapolis, along with Riley, a La Perm Tabby Cat. Besides Genealogy and Computers my other hobby is Aviation History and every year I attend the world class Air Show at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This photograph is from a prior year’s show. It represents my main area of interest which is the history of aviation. Notice the Churchill re-enacter posing with the pilot.

I have a large collection of genealogical works on colonial Maryland and Pennsylvania and also an extensive library of aviation historical books.

Here is a picture of my friend David Ching and I on our annual Martin Luther King golf holiday which we usually take in Florida with our wives and our friends Sondra and Charlie Weinzierl.

Maybe one of these days I will get the hang of this game. Even thought it is frustrating I love it nonetheless as I have yet to see an ugly golf course.