ELMYRA GRASSER: 1909 - 1972
Elmira Emma Machdalena Grasser was born July 12th, 1909 on her parent's farm near Porterfield, Wisconsin. She was the sixth oldest sibling born to Michael and Wilhelmina Grasser. Her parents had her baptized on August 8th, 1909 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Walsh, Wisconsin. Her given name at birth was originally spelt "Elmira", but she later changed it to the more conventional spelling of "Elmyra".
About the year 1927 Elmyra's older sister, Sylvia, was able to find a job for her in Chicago as a cook and housemaid. Because of this opportunity, Elmyra decided to leave the farm and come to the big city. She stayed at first with her cousin, Katie Chevopulos, and her family until she could get her self established.
She did house cleaning work only for a couple of years before landing a job with the Olson Rug Company. She remained in their employ for many years.
When Elmyra left, she took up residency at another boarding house, which was located in the same part of town. Also staying at this boarding house was Sigvald Johnson. They eventually met and started dating each other until June 20th, 1942 when they married each other at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Walsh, Wisconsin.
Sig was born on October 24th, 1903 at Engesland in Vegusdal, Norway. He immigrated to America in the spring of 1926. Staying with his brother, Olaf Johnson, and his family on their farm in Kansas, Sig besides working on the farm enrolled in a correspondence school for auto mechanics. After completing his courses, he moved to Chicago to work for his brother-in-law, Al Ornis, who owned an auto repair shop there. During the Second World War, Sig did "War Work" which consisted of welding fuel tanks together for a company that had a defense contract with the government.
After Elmyra and Sig married, they moved to an apartment on Eddy Street near Irving Park Road. They stayed there only a short time before moving to 3055 N. Kilpatrick.
In 1943 the Johnson family moved again. This time to a rented garage apartment on Addison Street near Harlem Ave. This is where their first child, Leonard Michael, was born to them on November 7th, 1944. Two years later they moved in with Elmyra's brother, Cyrill, and his family at his recently purchased home at 904 W. 51st Place. The Johnson family moved there only temporarily so that Elmyra could help her recently divorced brother with his children until they could all get readjusted to living in their new home.
On March 11th, 1945 Elmyra and Sig purchased their first and only house at 1319 W. Byron Street. They lived there for the next thirty years. Their second child, also a boy, was born to them while living there on July 2nd, 1948. He was named Christopher William.
Over the course of time, Sig worked for a number of independent auto repair shops always specializing in front end repairs. He worked for Morton Motors a Division of Alvin Ford Company as a mechanic. He remained in their employ until 1964 when the company went out of business. Sig worked seven more years after that before finally retiring at the age of sixty-eight.
One year later, on March 10th, 1972 Elmyra died at the age of sixty-three. She was interred at the Irving Park Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois. Sig eventually moved in with his sons and put his house on Byron Street up for sale. It was sold on August 27th, 1976.
Sig survived his wife by ten years, dying on August 7th, 1982. He was buried next to his wife, Elmyra, at the Irving Park Cemetery.
Elmyra "Grasser" Johnson Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser