Anna (Madsen) NELSON

NELSON, MADSEN, SEED, PETERSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/13/2013 at 13:25:33

George & Anna Nelson

George H. Nelson was the first of the Peter C. Peterson children to come to America from Denmark. He emigrated about 1861 or 1862, at the age of seventeen.

George H. Nelson and Anna Madsen were married on March 18, 1877 in the Evergreen Community, southeast of Goldfield, Iowa, probably in the home of Anna's sister, Hannah. They had a home northwest of Titonka, Iowa. Four children were born there. The children included Hansina, who only lived nine days, as well as Jorgina Georgia-Anna, Hansine Sarena, and Carl Edward.

The family, including Hansina and Carl, came to the Kottke Valley Township area of McHenry County, North Dakota, about 1905 or 1906. Carl found work as a helper to Jason Geddes, who was water-pumper for the Great Northern Railway, working at the water treatment plant down by the reservoir. There, Carl learned how to treat the water to make it soft so that it wouldn't cause the steam engines to get coated with lime and other substances, and he also learned how to test it.

Carl Nelson quickly advanced to water inspector, covering a large area in the northern part of North Dakota. He was skillful with the stationery engines used in the pumping stations. Soon he was called as a pump repairman as well. In 1916, Carl moved to St. John, North Dakota, where his work called him to extend his services into Canada as well. Soon after that, his work required him to be stationed in Minot.

Anna Madsen Nelson died in Minot on February 5, 1922 and was buried in Goldfield, Iowa.

Carl married Kathryn Seed, the daughter of Doc Seed, a veterinarian in Minot, in September of 1922. Doc also operated a silver fox farm. Kathryn graduated from St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing in 1921. They became the parents of three children: Dalton Edward, Shirley Ann, and Judy.

http://www.granvillenorthdakota.com/history/early-settlers/george--anna-nelson.html