Eric John Johanson 姚漢聲 (1899-1999) and
Nettie Roberta Hare Johanson (1899-1981)
Nettie Roberta Hare Johanson (1899-1981)
by Bruce W. Lo, 2015
Basic Biographical Information Family Background
The China Years From 1915 to 1919, the Australian Union Conference was part of the Asiatic Division which also took in the Far East, India, Ceylon, Burma, China, Japan, and Chosen (Korea). In 1917, Eric's father, Johan Marius Johanson, was called to be the President of the Japan-Chosen-Manchuria Union Conference. In the same year, Eric J. Johanson, at the age of 18, was called to Hankow, Hubie, China to be the Stenographer-bookeeper of the North China Union Conference. Eric's ability and hard work were soon demonstrated when he brought down his first trial balance with only 1 cent out.Those were difficult times in China, as the country emerged from the old feudal system to young nationhood and many regions were blundered by warlords. But the Adventist mission continued to grow among the population. Nettie Hare was very popular on the ship on which she took to go to China, because she entertained fellow passengers with beautiful musics on her violin during the rather long voyage from Australia to China. As the ship sailed into Shanghai harbor on Christmas day, 25 December 1919, who other than Eric J. Johanson would be the first man to jump aboard from a sampan, to welcome her? He then took her to a Church of England Cathedral in Shanghai, to have their marriage performed by the Dean of the Cathedral, whom Eric had previously contacted and obtained his consent to perform the wedding. All that could be remembered of the service was the Dean's advice "to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth!", according to Thelma, Eric's sister, who recalled many years later.1 Everything went perfectly for Eric and Nettie on their wedding day, 25 Dec 1919 - the Anglican Dean did the marriage honors, the British Consulate waived the usual two-week requirement for marriage bans, and a fellow worker, Gjording, allowed the newly wedded to stay in his house for a two-week honey moon, while he himself went away on work assignment. When Eric J. Johanson returned to the Mission Compound and presented his "wife" to the folks there, many were caught by surprise (Figure 3). All except H.M. Blunden, another fellow Australian worker in the Mission Office, with whom Eric had shared his plan of marriage. From the Stenographer-Bookkeeper position, Eric J. Johanson was called to be the President of the East China Union Mission in Shanghai. It was in Shanghai that his first son, Eric J. Johanson Jr. was born (Figure 4). In all Eric J. Johanson Sr. and his wife Nettie worked in China for seven years. They returned to Australia for furlough in 1924. Years later, Bobbie-Mae Johanson, their third child, recalled her father told her of his experience while the family were in the Yen Chang Mission compound, he visited the ancient city of Lo Yan Ho. On a section of the old city wall was inscribed the story of the wise men of the Christmas story. Because the writing was so old that they rubbed lead on the writing in order to read it3. Singapore and Southeast Asia At the end of their furlough, Eric J. Sr. and Nettie Johanson returned to the orient to Singapore in 1924, to became the Secretary-Treasurer of the Malay-Sian Union Mission, which took into the states of Malaya, Borneo, Celebes, French Indo-China, and Indonesia. In addition to taking care of the office and auditing work at the Union Office, Eric J. Johanson Sr. also looked after the Singapore Church, combining pastoral ministry with office duties. It was in Singapore that their second son, Oran-Lynn, and their first daughter, Bobbie-Mae, were born (Figures 6, 7). They now had three children: Eric J. Jr., Oran-Lynn and Bobbie-Mae. The Johanson's were in Southeast Asia for about 14 years. In around 1934 the brethern thought it would be a good idea to have someone to represent Sanitarium Health Food Company in Southeast Asia to market their products to the people there. Eric J. Johanson Sr. was chosen as the representative. After returning to Australia briefly for training, Eric J. Johnason Sr. resumed his Secretary-Treasurership at the Malay-Sian Union Office, and at the same time engaged in a vigorous campaign to promote Sanitarium Health Food products to the Southeast Asian market. He was out and about and made many sorties to merchants and grocers throughout the region-Singapore, Malaya, Ceylon, India and Java. When G.E. Adair was sent by SHF to Singapore to see how this young SHF representative was doing, he was thrilled to report what he found in Penang, Malaya, "Weet-bix is already selling here and the grocers give it third place among the breakfast cereals. Instant Postum seems to be in most grocers and coffee shops...."5 Back home among the Sanitarium Health Food Company circle, the success of Eric J. Johanson Sr. in Southeast Asia earned him the nickname, "Manager: Orient" (Figure 8). He recalled in one instance, how he actually went to one of the grocers and removed the British made "Weetabix" from the shelves and replaced them with what he regarded as the genuine product, Sanitarium "Weet-bix". In fact in India, to avoid confusing the customers, Weet-bix was once renamed "Joy Weets". Including the 7 years in China, the Johanson's were missionaries in the Orient for about 21 years. Australia and America In 1938, Eric J. Johanson Sr. was called by the home field to be the President of South Australian Conference. On his way back to Australia, he was ordained by Pastors L.D. Lemke and R.A.R. Thrift in Perth. Eric and Nettie spent the next four years in Adelaide, where their fourth child, James, was born. Then in 1942 the family moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, where Eric J. Johanson Sr. became the President of South New Zealand Conference. It was in New Zealand that their last child, Beth, was born. In 1944, Eric J. Johanson Sr was called back to Warburton, Victoria, where he became the Manager of the Signs Publishing Company - 34 years after his father, Johan Marius Johanson was the Manager there. Second World War ended, and Eric was called to move his family to America, where he took up the position of Assistant Treasurer at General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church headquarter on August 16, 1946. Four years later in 1950, he was appointed Statistical Secretary of the General Conference (Figure 9). In 1952, the Australasian Division issued a call to its talented son, Eric J. Johanson Sr., to return to the home country. In July 1952, the Johanson family moved to Wahroonga, New South Wales, and Eric became an Associate Secretary of the Division. And later on he became the Treasurer of the Australasian Division, a position he occupied for 14 years. Retirement Years Eric J. Johnson retired in 1971 at the age of 67, after 54 years of service to the Seventh-day Adventist Church - in Australia, China, Southeast Asia, and America. Eric and Nettie then moved to Nords Wharf and lived there for 12 years before moving to Kressville Retirement Village, Cooranbong, New South Wales (Figures 10, 11). Two years later, Eric's life partner, Nettie, died on April 27, 1981 at Charles Harrison Home. They were married for 61 years. In 1983, Eric J. Johanson married Vera Salisbury. Throughout his life, he was highly respected. His energy and his work capacity were admired by his colleagues and friends. On 13 November 1999, he was called to rest in the Lord after reaching the age of 100. | Figure 1: Pastor Eric John Johanson (photo taken 1965) and Mrs Nettie Johanson (photo taken 1969)             |
