Their first home was a two bedroom brick house at 307 Concord. Their first child Barbara was born March 8, 1939. In 1941 expecting a second child, they purchased a larger home at 307 E. 3rd Street and moved May 1th - just several days before son Paul was born. An aside - Paul was born several hours after Glen Boson, son of the Ebert Boson's who lived at 309 Concord, both Herbert and Ebert took considerable ribbing that their neighboring wives gave birth to boys within hours of each other. The story told around town was that Herb and Ebert had gone on a fishing trip in the fall and Ebert got home first.

The Johnson household eventually numbered 11: Barbara Lynne, Mar. 8 1939; Paul Herbert, May 5, 1941; Charles Leo, Aug. 12, 1943; Carol Eva, Jan. 31, 1945; Mary Ann, Dec. 30, 1947; David John, Nov. 2, 1949; Christine Estelle, Oct. 21, 1951; Philip Albert, Mar. 15, 1953; Margaret Adele, Feb. 2, 1956; Anne Marie, Jul. 2, 1957; Jane Ellen, Sept. 9, 1958

All of the Johnson children were educated at St. John's Grade School and all graduated from Columbus High. All except the youngest Jane, who tragically died at age 4 from peritonitis caused when an internal and unknown cyst burst, the same condition that was fatal to her paternal grandmother. A second child, 1st Lieutenant Charles L. Johnson, U.S. Army (Charley) was killed in action June, 23 1967 

About 1949, the Johnson family sent several weeks on Grandpa John's farm on Birch Road in the town of McMillian, the next year they began moving to the farm for the entire summer. The 80 acres provided enough room for all the children to run and enough work to keep them occupied. The 2 or so acres of lawn also provided space for Herb and Adele to entertain families of their many friends and not many weeks went by when some friend or relative's family was not cooking out and seated around an 8 foot diameter picnic table that began life as a cable spool gleaned from Vic Sebold of the Telephone Company. 

Herb and Adele's parties, both at the farm and home were always well attended. These parties included bridge parties, progressive parties and an annual Tom & Jerry party at Thanksgiving. Herb and his friends took annual fishing trips, and the idea to create the Side-Saddle Fishing Club was to have activities to include spouses as well as being a group that would provide a social meeting ground between the business and medical communities. Side Saddle gatherings often as not were held at either the farm or in the basement of the 3rd St. house or on the farm.

One party staged on a Halloween night involved setting up a series of card tables and draping them with blankets. In order for the couples to get to the basement (where the food and drink were) whey had to crawl through the tables on pillows with various fruits and foods substituting for body parts. The same setup had been used for a children’s party a day earlier, a party that included Herb passing out grape "eyes" and macaroni "brains" while telling a story in the darkened shower room, ending with shots from a .22 cal. Pistol (blanks)

Speaking of the shower room, it began life as a cistern which held water from the roof drained by a system of gutter and pipes. Fearing that a child would crawl over the open top and fall in, Herb & Adele had a doorway cut through the stone sides and a door frame and water pipes installed. The whole family, up to perhaps Carol, showered together on more than one occasion.

One party that drew quite a bit of comment was a New Years Eve Progressive Party. The party was to end at Johnson's. Paul and Barbara thought that the house needed some "festive-izing" and went to Wing's Drug Store to buy crepe paper. However the only paper available was sheets of an ugly brown, which was cut into rather uneven strips and strung from the chandeliers. The comments heard were mainly "Ohh that's ..........nice'

In 1942, it was reported in the Marshfield New-Herald that "Santa" had come to the Johnson household at a party given for Barbara and Paul and friends. Herb bought a Santa suit for the party which hung in the back bedroom closet until 1996.

It was a custom, at least among the older children, that on their birthday they got to choose their favorite foods for dinner. Earlier birthday parties also included cartoons shown on the 8mm movie projector.

The Johnson household included many books and much reading as well as spirited discussions. While it is generally believed by all the children that their parents argued as did other parents, they also agree that if arguments occurred, it was after everyone was asleep, since neither parent was ever heard to raise their voice to each other. One discussion that occurred was over a minor point of something between Herb & Adele and Barb and Bob Waid. It progressed to the point that several sets of encyclopedias ended up spread over the floor and articles were quoted to support what ever position needed support. Into this family scene entered Charlie and his room mate, Osam Koybiachi (sp?), both freshmen at St. Norbert. Now "Sam" was recently arrived from a very traditional family in Japan was, to say the least, unprepared to witness this kind of family life.

Herb and Adele shared a love of reading and music. An early feature of the living room was a combination radio and phonograph. There was also an impressive collection of 78 rpm albums of the classics. Herb and Adele could often be found late at night in the kitchen reading books. When they completed their respective books, they would trade, read and then compare.

There seemed to have been few secrets between Herb and Adele, however as far as known for over thirty years, Adele kept one secret from Herb. When they lived on Concord Ave., Adele baked a meringue pie of some sort to serve to guests. While the pie was cooling, their dog (name unknown) ate the top off the pie. In a hurry to make sure it would be ready, Adele mixed up another batch of meringue, topped the pie and popped it back into the oven and served it to her unsuspecting guests and husband. She told the story over thirty years after the fact and Herbie still got upset that she had put one over on him. He joked later that he'd never trust another meringue pie.

For many years it was Herb's custom to come home after work through the back door into the kitchen and gently pinch Adele as he passed her, she always protested - slightly - but was always standing there. In the week before he died, while Adele was adjusting his oxygen, Herb gave her a pinch - such was the measure of their relationship. Herbert died Dec. 18, 1979 and was buried Dec. 22. Under the tree at Christmas was a present from Herb to Adele purchased by daughter Anne at her father's request.