CHARLES M. NELSON
Charles Nelson belongs to that class of citizens who have won the admiration and respect of all by what they have accomplished through individual effort and along honorable lines. Mr. Nelson is entirely a self-made man, and all that he has enjoyed and possessed has been won through well-directed labor, guided by sound business judgment. He was born in Sweden, Jan. 11, 1839. his birthplace being in Tisselsko, Sucken, Elsborgland. He was the son of Magnus and Mary (Pearson) Nelson. His mother died when he was about six years of age, and his father afterward married Christena Larson. In his native country Charles Nelson acquired his education by attending the public schools. He was brought up as a farmer, and has followed that occupation throughout his life.

Nov. 15, 1868, Charles Nelson was united in marriage to Miss Mertie Christena Olson, daughter of Olaf and Bertha (Seltvall) Anderson. She was born Jan. 9, 1848, in Omal. Sucken, Elsborgland, Sweden. The next year after his marriage, he determined to see what opportunities awaited him in the New World, so came to America by way of New York, coming through Castle Garden, then directly to Kingston, Iowa. Here he worked for the first month for his father, who had preceded him to this country by about six months. His parents spent the remainder of their lives in this country, the father dying in 1893, aged eighty-four years, and the mother dying in 1892, at the age of sixty-scven years. Mrs. Nelson's parents never came to this country, and both died in Sweden some years ago.

After Mr. Nelson had been In this country a little over a month, he began working in the timber for Mr. Latty, continuing at this work for a year and a half. By that time he had become sufficiently familiar with the language and customs to feel that he was warranted in under-taking to work independently. Accordingly he then leased some land of John Murphy in Huron township, where he stayed for five and a half years. By this time his thrifty ways and skilful management had enabled him to save enough so that in November, 1875, he bought a farm of thirty acres from Robert Ping. This land had only a small piece for garden that had ever been broken by the plow, and had on it a two-room house, a well, and a stable. This he bought for twenty-five dollars an acre. In 1876 he moved his family to this place, and has made it his home ever since. He has brought the farm under cultivation, and practically improved it in many ways. Later he added to it seventeen acres which he bought from John Collar, and now he has thirty acres in Section 20, and twenty acres in Section 17, Yellow Springs township. Besides his work of general farming, he has made a very successful beginning at the specialized work of stockraising. He usually raises about ten hogs, some cattle, and a few horses of draft breeds every year.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are both faithful members of the Swedish Lutheran church of Mediapolis, and Mr. Nelson has served that body as deacon for twelve years. His political support is given to the Republican party, for on becoming a naturalized citizen he concluded that the platform of that party contained the best elements of good government, though he has never been an aspirant for office. He has never yet had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in the New World, for he found the business opportunities which he sought, and has gradually progressed toward the goal of success. He has also raised a fine large family, of which he has every reason to be proud.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have been the parents of eleven children, as follows: Axel, born Aug. 2, 1869, died Sept. 25. 1879; William C., born March 13, 1871, lives in Washington township, Des Moines county, Iowa, where he has bought a farm of eighty acres; Tilda, born Sept. 17, 1873, is the wife of Charles Walberg, a farmer of Washington township; Oscar Carl, born Oct. 1, 1875, is a farmer living in Yellow Springs township; Anna Elizabeth, born Nov. 12, 1878. died March 12, 1905, in England; Laura Amelia, born Jan. 21, 1881; Albert Emmanuel, born Feb. 3, 1883; Victoria Marie, born March 22, 1885, died Aug. 18, 1886; Victor Frederick, born Dec. 31, 1886; David Julius, born Feb. 26, 1889; and Amanda Olivia, born March 30, 1891.

The daughter, Anna Elizabeth, was a gentle, quiet girl, a loving and dutiful daughter and helpful sister. Hers was a deeply religious nature, devoted to the work of the church in which she was confirmed as a child. On her sensitive spirit was early impressed the need of the world for a fuller knowledge of the message brought by the Christ, and as she grew older the call came to her as a personal mission, to go into the world and teach the way of life. She obeyed the call, and was sent as a missionary to China, that region of densest ignorance and most ignorant fanaticism, so full of danger to the Christian workers from other lands.

She left America Nov. 20, 1901, going by way of San Francisco. She labored under the auspices of the American Scandinavian Free Christian Mission, Canton, South China, and served as a missionary there for three years, .working under all the trials and hardships peculiar to that country and those people, — trials that no one but those who have been in the field can have any realization of, — and endured all with an uncomplaining spirit, hoping only to be the means of bringing light into that benighted land.

While carrying on this work she became acquainted with Percival J. Laird, a native of Windsor, Berkshire, England, who was also actively engaged in the same missionary work. This friendship ripened into a stronger feeling, and they became engaged to be married. Accordingly Miss Nelson went to England. She had not been feeling well, and was taken worse on the trip. After her arrival at Mr. Laird's home in Deal, Kent; England. she still continued to get worse, and several weeks later died there. Hers was a beautiful Christian character, and she leaves a place that can never he filled, not only in the home, but also in the foreign field, where she did such efficient work in spreading the gospel that she loved.

Source: Biographical Review of Des Moines County, Iowa, Hobart Publishing Company, Chicago, 1905, pp. 860-862.

Per request of pmfrench (#47453952)