Married Ingeborg Sophia Hansen, 26 Feb 1847, Haugerup, Pedersborg, Soro, Denmark

Married Ane Cecelia Pedersen, 20 Nov 1860, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Ane Katrine Nielson, 10 Apr 1872, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Bodell Hansen, 19 May 1881, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Christina Maria (Stina) Peterson

Married Cathrine Larsen

History - Somewhere between forty and fifty miles west of Copenhagen, on the island of Sjeland was located the little village of Haugerup, where Nels H. Nelson was borne March 13, 1816. He grew to young manhood in the city of Sorȍ. The schooling of his time was very meager consisting of the three R’s.

When he became of age he was drafted into the service of the King, this took him to Copenhagen, after his discharge as a soldier he went to work in a Paint Factory and intended to learn the business for his trade, but soon after this his Father died. This changed his plans for his future, as he had to go back to the farm.

At this time all of the land of Sjeland was owned by a few people or landlords and was rented out to the farmers, but the land became so poor that no crops were successful and the farmers were not able to pay their rent. Then the Government took over the land and drafted men to go on the farms. Each farmer received his farm but had to pay the government a certain price for it. They then started to tile and use markel and other fertilizer on the ground and it wasn’t long until the farms began to prosper again. He as drafted to come back and till his father’s farm.
About 1845 he married Ingeborg Sophia Christoffersen and to them were borne three children Christina Neely, Peter Nelson and Sophia Ralphs.

In the year 1854 there appeared in that part of the country two Mormon missionaries, Elders O. N. Linianquist and C. D. Fjeldsted and as he heard them preach the gospel, said he knew the gospel was true. The first time he heard it he received a testimony and often spoke of it in later years saying it was not new to him, seemed he had always known it only it had not been presented in that way.

His wife Ingeborg, could not understand the gospel as readily as he could and for some time held him back, but he finally decided to be baptized, and as she continued to be prejudiced he prayed to the Lord and promised the Lord if he would touch the heart of his wife so that she would have a testimony like his, this great latter-day work, they would use their means in emigrating less fortunate saints to Zion. His Prayers were answered, and he kept his agreement with the Lord also. It is interesting to know that over half of the population of that district received the gospel, and five of the six landlords were among these.

He purchased a log cabin in Salt Lake City, from a missionary and in 1856 sold his farm, and after providing for his emigration the remainder was turned over to the Perpetual Emigration Fund and was the means of helping many souls to emigrate. Arriving in Salt Lake he found himself in quite a bit of debt, so sold the house he had bought while he was in Denmark, paid off his debts and moved to Brigham City in 1857 where he farmed. In 1860 he married a widow, Kjersten Petersen whose husband had been killed in a sand pit and the following year married Annie Cecelia Peterson. To these women were born seven children, to the former Erastus, Hyrum and Annie; and to the latter Alma, Louisa, Nora and Nellie. Annie was the first girl baby born in the city of Bear River, Aug 20, 1867.

About this time the church made a call for teams to help the Emigrants and Father Nelson sent two teams and teamsters back to Omaha. At this time word was received of the movement of Johnson’s army toward Utah, the Emigrants however moved faster that the army, arriving in the valley ahead of them. There was much uneasiness among the saints over this and an army was hastily called and sent into Echo canyon to fortify and hold the army back and the people were called on to supply boots, coats, bedding and other supplies, and father Nelson had quite a stock of this from the old Country, and gave freely of his supply, curing the winter he took up the occupation of making clogs for his own family because they gave all their shoes away, he made many clogs for the people there who were the same way.

In the spring they all moved south going as far as Payson, returning to Brigham City, after the treaty and peaceful entrance of the Army. Father Nelson built one of the first adobe houses in Brigham, and his was the first house to have a shingle roof. On several occasions had the honor of entertaining Brigham Young and the visiting Brethren because of this.

In 1865 he was called on a mission going to Denmark where he presided over the Copenhagen Conference, returning the next year in charge of a large company of emigrants. They were so long on the ocean, there water ran short and many became sick, one dying with cholera, they managed to land at New York but some of the Saints were obliged to remain on account of the Cholera, several died there, others at Council Bluffs and more on the plains, among them were the parents of Lars P. Nelson and Pear Larsen, both boys were adopted by Father Nelson and were treated as his own children. After returning home he was called to be presiding Elder in Bear River City where he with his Counselors Lars Christensen and Knud Mortensen helped to build the first dam on the Malad River and the old canal and fence the old field, also participated in building the U.P.R.R. having quite a contract west of the little mountain, was at Promontory Point during the celebration of the driving of the Golden Spike, when the Transcontinental lines met. He organized the Boys Meeting in Bear River City with James P. Anderson, better known as Jim Petersen as President and Pear Larson, better known as Pear Nelson, as secretary, and was one of the first if not the first Y.W.M.I.A in the state of Utah.

About this time under President Lorenzo Snow it was decided to establish the United Order, our worthy parents after due consideration joined whole heartedly in this commendable undertaking, putting all upon the altar as did many others. They never wavered in the least in their integrity and devotion to this movement and as a result were called in to the council of President Snow and his associates who place him in charge of the Co-op Farm, at which place he remained until the United Order was finally abandoned, when he bought back his old farm in 1874. He again entered into the bonds of matrimony marring Cathrine Larson, mother of Arnold Nelson, later on he married Bodel Hansen and during the polygamy raids moved to Gentile Valley, Idaho, where he died in March 1893. With his late wife six children were borne, Edgar, Hyrum, Luby, Clara, Carry and Mary. Nels H. Nelson had 17 children, 14 of whom survive him, with over 100 grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

Above all this is the message of our dear parents to their children and to her children’s children to the latest day; that they know with the knowledge that bears no denial, with a faith is overwhelming, with a conviction that cannot be shaken, that the Gospel restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the everlasting and eternal plan of salvation formulated for the good of men by the council of the Gods in a day long before the foundations of the earth were made. This is their testimony and the essence of their lives. ~By Alma Nelson