John Nelson

John Nelson was born October 7, 1867 and Ida (Carlson) Nelson was born December 27, 1866 in Blekinge, Sweden.  Mr. Nelson was a stonemason and Mrs. Nelson a hand weaver.  They owned and operated a General Merchandise store in Sweden from 1898 to 1900.  In 1900 Mr. Nelson came to United States and to Greenfield Township.  He bought a quarter of land €“ SE quarter of Section 1 - in Greenfield Township and built a one-room shanty there.  Mrs. Nelson came in 1901.  They built an extra room on the shanty and then sent for their two girls, 

  1. Ellen (12 years old)
  2. Valborg (10 years old) 

who had been left in the care of their Grandmother in Sweden.  The two girls arrived in 1902.  They traveled across the ocean and to Hannaford with Olaf and Betsy Johnson who had been to Sweden on their wedding trip.

Four more girls were born: 

  1. Mrs. Ellen Olson, Los Angeles, California
  2. Mrs. Valborg Haugen, Cooperstown
  3. Mrs. L. B. Williams, deceased
  4. Mrs. Lily Wright, Chico, California 

and twins:

  1. Mrs. Norman (Eugenia) Njaa, Grants Pass, Oregon and 
  2. Mrs. Theron (Evely) Steenson, Viroqua, Wisconsin.

They all lived in the 2-room house until they built a large 2-story home in 1908.  Being a family with no boys to help with fieldwork, the girls did their share helping with plowing (driving 7 horses on the plow), raking hay, doing chores, etc.

John Nelson helped lay bricks in the construction of the Binford School.  He also did all the stone work in the foundation in their new home they built in 1908, making use of the trade he brought with him from Sweden.

John and Ida Nelson lived on this farm until 1939.  At that time their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Haugen moved there and lived until Bert's death in 1941.

Mrs. Nelson died in 1939 and Mr. Nelson died in 1942.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976  Page 306