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GILBERT PETER NELSON.

Gilbert Peter Nelson is a farmer of Audubon county, Iowa, and owns two hundred and forty acres of land in Oakfield township. Mr. Nelson received a good education in the common schools and supplemented his training received there with a term in the Danish Lutheran College at Elkhorn, Iowa. He is an extensive raiser of cattle and hogs and is well known in Oakfield township.

Gilbert Peter Nelson was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, September 18, 1867. His parents were Peter and Marie (Peterson) Nelson, natives of Denmark.

Peter Nelson was a carpenter in his native land, and followed this trade until twenty years of age, when he came to America. He located in Michigan and worked in the pineries of that state for a short time. After a time he removed to Chicago, and was employed in constructing the first union stock yards in Chicago. After working in Chicago for some time, he removed to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and worked at his trade in that city. The elder Mr. Nelson followed the carpenter's trade until 1870, when he removed to Cass county, Iowa. Here he bought forty acres of land at eleven dollars an acre. He sold this farm at the end of eight years, and purchased a hundred and sixty acres in Audubon county, which he farmed until 1908. At that time he retired. He is now living with his daughter, Mrs. Harry Traum. The elder Mr. Nelson increased his farm holdings until he owned eight hundred acres of land. When he came to Michigan he had only fifteen dollars.

Peter and Marie (Peterson) Nelson were the parents of twelve children, ten of whom are living, as follow: Gilbert P., the subject of this sketch; John C., a farmer in Oakfield township; Julius, lives in Cass county; Edward, lives in Oakfield township; Ludwick, lives at Atlantic; Alma, married Harry Traum and lives in Oakfield township; Alfred; Christina, married Evans Markenson, of Audubon; Rosa, lives in Audubon; and Martha, also lives in Audubon.

Gilbert Peter Nelson received his education principally in Audubon county, and after completing the course here he attended the Danish Lutheran College at Elkhorn for a term. He was married at the age of twenty-six years, and after renting land for one year, he bought one hundred and twenty acres of land. Gradually he has increased his holdings to two hundred and forty acres. He raises sixty acres of corn, and feeds about fifty head of hogs a year.

Gilbert Peter Nelson was married on March 3, 1894, to Anna Christina Nelson, daughter of L. P. and Marie (Peterson) Nelson. Seven children have been born to this marriage, Theodore H., Gerald, Ernest, Gladys, Lela, Ethel and Edna. Mrs. Nelson was born in Des Moines, Iowa. Her parents were natives of Denmark. Her father came to America and located in Des Moines, where he remained for five years. They had nine children, Anna, Rosa, Hans, Ida, Martha, Marie, Ray, Arthur and Albert.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are members of the Danish Lutheran church. In politics Mr. Nelson is a Republican.



Transcribed from History of Audubon County, Iowa Its People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, by H. F. Andrews, editor, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, 1915, pp. 683-684.