Emma Sofia Johansson was born on 30 December 1863 in Örebro, Sweden to Christina Maja Nilsdotter and Johannes Bengtsson. She was baptized into the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1879 at the age of 16. She moved to Utah in 1889. She married Carl Edwin Cederstrom on 9 September 1891 in Salt Lake City. Sophia and Carl never had any children, but they frequently hosted and cared for younger family members. Sophia worked as a cafeteria worker at the LDS High School for many years. She passed away on 9 March 1931 in Salt Lake City and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.