Nels & Johanna Paulson

PAULSON ANDERSON NELSON RIESE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/13/2010 at 18:58:28

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Nels and Johanna Bodil (Riese) Paulson
By Marguerite LeMoine Paulson and Dolores Sitzmann Paulson

Nels Christian Paulson was born in Landskrona, Sweden, September 1, 1872. His parents were Paul and Annie Pauline (Anderson) Nelson. Paul was a Lutheran Minister and he and Annie both died in Landskrona in 1905. They had five children: Nels Paulson, Lita, Helga, Elma and Anna Nelson. Note: At that time in Sweden the eldest son took his father’s first name and added ‘son’, thus Paul Nelson’s son was called ‘Nels’ Paulson.

Nels came to this country in 1892 and lived in Aurelia, Iowa, for a time and then moved to Sioux City where he married Johannahe Bodil Riese, May 14, 1898. They had six children:
Albert Nels born December 14, 1899,
Pauline born May 1901 and died in August 1901,
Jean born July 26, 1903,
Evelyn born January 25, 1907,
Clifford E born January 16, 1909 and
Carl D born January 26, 1917.

Nels died a heroic death at age 55 on August 2, 1927. While working for a contractor in Sioux City, near 2900 South Coral Street, a section of ditch caved in burying two of his co-workers, Fred Wenzell and Gene Powell, whom he rescued. After their rescue it again caved in on Nels and his life was lost. Johannahe married John B Chamberlain in 1929, he died July 15, 1956. Johannahe died in Sioux City, October 14, 1968.

Albert married Marguerite LeMoine, a school teacher, June 12, 1937 at Kingsley, Iowa. Albert managed a lumber yard in Riverside for many years. They are now both retired. They have two children: Stephen L, born August 24, 1940 and Virginia, born August 24, 1946. Stephen married Jo Anne Thompson, they had two children, Stephen Junior and Suzanne. Jo Anne died July 25, 1967. Stephen married Barbara Veitch and adopted her two children Lisa and john. Stephen L is a Vice-President at Sioux Tools.

Virginia married George Taylor, they have three sons, Jeffrey, James and Jason. George works at Sioux Tools. They all live in Sioux City.

Jean married Kenneth Norman. During World War II, Jean and Ken went to Des Moines to help the war effort by making bullets in a factory there. Later they worked as Assessors for the Clemenshaw Corporation. Ken died May 26, 1958. On July 17, 1965 she married Matt Getzfred who died September 10, 1981. Jean lives in Sioux City.

Evelyn married John Berg, a railroad man, in 1924 and they had tree children, Johnny born March 1925 and died September 1933, La Donna born March 16, 1931 and Kenneth born August 4, 1933. La Donna married Lowell D Phillips and they have three children, John, Pamela, and Scott. Kenneth married Sally Rupp whose children are Vickey, Debra, and Terry who died at age three, and Lisa. John Berg died October 1941, and Evelyn married Harold Davis in September 1944. He died January 29, 1972. Evelyn married Celest Chini in September 1973. They all live in southern California.
Clifford married Ella Mae Bogner in 1935 and their children are: Donald, born May 23, 1936; Marvin, born April 17, 1938; and Sharon, born February 25, 1946. Donald is a draftsman for an architectural firm in Sioux City. He married Janine Hansel and their children are Lori, Robin, Gregg, Amy and Jason. Marvin works for Sioux Tools and he is married to Janice Powell, a longtime employee of Bell Telephone. Sharon married Bill Booe and their children are Malissa, Billy and Jennifer. They live in Vermillion, South Dakota where Bill is manager of a branch plant of Sioux Tools.
Clifford is a retired truck driver and Ella Mae is a retired employee of the Sioux City Health Department. They live in Sioux City.
Carl graduated from Central High School in 1936 and shortly after enlisted in the U S Navy from which he retired in 1956. During his service in the Navy he attended many engineering schools and he retired as a Warrant Electrical Officer. He served both during World War II and the Korean Conflict and was awarded the Purple Heart and several other medals. After retiring from the Navy he went to work for Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative in 1956 and retired from that job as Executive Vice-President and General Manager in 1982.
Carl married Dolores Sitzmann on December 6, 1943 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. They live in LeMars, Iowa. They have one son, Thomas Carl, born March 16, 1947 at Bethesda Maryland Naval Hospital. Tom attended Gehlen School in LeMars and he graduated from the University of South Dakota. He enlisted in the 101st Paratroops and served in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Air Medal. Tom married Linda Irene Collamer, December 30, 1972. They have one son, Michael, born December 29, 1980. Tom works for the U S Post Office and Linda teaches school in Vermillion, South Dakota, where they live.