William Nelson (1790-1860)

NELSON, WILSON

Posted By: Larry Nelson (email)
Date: 11/4/2001 at 05:58:17

William Nelson was born in Mercer Co., Penn., Dec. 5, 1790, and was descended from Irish ancestry. He served in the War of 1812 and in Pennsylvania married Miss Elizabeth Wilson, who was born in Ireland, May 25, 1791, and who, in her childhood, accompanied her parents to this country and located in Penn. Some time after their marriage, they moved in 1817 to Wayne Co., Ohio, near Rowsburg, where Mr. Nelson engaged in farming until 1836, when he removed to Richland Co., (now Ashland) and located on a farm near Savannah until 1845, when he traded his land in that locality for a tract in Washington Twp., Van Buren County, Iowa, to which he then removed.
Both he and his wife were members of the Associated Presbyterian Church, but afterward joined the United Presbyterian.

He died Sept. 24, 1860, and Mrs. Nelson on 7 Oct. 1858. Nine children, of whom seven lived to be adults, three are yet living: Hugh, a farmer of Van Buren Co.; Ann, widow of Joseph Dawson, of Washington Co., Iowa, and Dr. William W. Nelson, M.D.

The Dr. was born Nov. 30, 1834 in Wayne Co., Ohio. Married Mar. 20, 1860, Miss Almira Matthews, native of Lawrence Co., Pa., born July 22, 1839. He graduated medical college, Mar. 12, 1860. He served in the Civil War, in the fall of 1865 he located in Birmingham. Seven children were born to this union, two died in infancy. Living: Meldon W., farmer of Lick Creek Twp., Van Buren County; Nettie X.; Minnie A., wife of Allen B. Adams of Selma; Audley E. and Mary L., students at Parsons College.

Extracted from Portrait & Biography Album, page 365