Q&A #1 - Why were you named your name?

Disclaimer: This post is primarily for journaling purposes for my girls sake. I decided to add a weekly "Q&A" that will ask and answer a question regarding thier parents past in hopes it will give them some insight who we are. Please feel free to read or ignore this post.

Todd Hans Johnson - He is not sure why his parents chose "Todd" for his first name but his middle name is the first name of his maternal grandfather, Hans Eugene Nielsen. Grandpa Nielsen went by the name "Eugene" all through his life. Grandpa Nielsen was a great role model. He left an amazing posterity. At the time of his death in March 2008 he had 7 children, 43 grandchildren, 109 great grandchildren and 1 great, great grandchild! Grandpa Nielsen was a civil engineer by profession, had a strong love of the gospel, served in many many church callings, and completed 4 missions, one in his youth and 3 with his wife, Dorothy Crockett Nielsen.


Kendra Sue Ashby Johnson - Some people assume I was named after my father, Ken Ashby, but this is not so. I was my mother's 5th pregnancy. She had carried two boys and two girls prior to me (the first, named David, died at birth). Since in 1973 Ultrasounds and sonagrams were not done routinely, my mother took a guess at my gender based on past experience. Her pregnancy with me was so similar to those she had with my brothers she was convinced I was a boy and consequently had chosen the name "Andrew" for me. Well, obviously my mother was wrong. So now my mom is in the hospital, having just given birth to a healthy 9+ pound baby girl with no name. She and my father start thinking. My mother wanted to name me Angel but my dad was not agreeable (thank goodness!). After about two days of pondering my dad came to the hospital and suggested Kendra Sue. My mom liked it and agreed. It wasn't until my 3rd birthday that my mother learned my father had had a gradeschool "girlfriend" named Kendra Sue Graham which is where he got the name!