Judy Alcott

Nels Christian Anderson

Stepfather of Lina Swore Olson and my step-grandfather

Jens and Anna Anderson, date unknown

Nels was born March 20, 1885, in Alexandria Township, south of Nelson, MN. His parents were Jens Christian Anderson and Anna Katrena (also known as Annie Katherine or Ane Katrinesen) Nielsen. Jens was born in Jultand, Denmark November 11, 1847, and his father and mother were Andrew and Christina Anderson. Anna was born in Lolland, Denmark December 14, 1846. Jens and Anna were married about 1872 and came to Minnesota about 1884 with three daughters. Their name was spelled Andersen while in Denmark. Jens and Anna lived and farmed their entire lives on the place they settled when they first came to Minnesota. They were very poor, and it was hard for them to take care of their family. Jens died April 10, 1928, of heart failure. Anna died October 6, 1922 of dementia. They are both buried in the Nelson Cemetery, rural Nelson, MN.

The children of Jens and Anna were:

Carolyn, also known as Carrie and Caroline Christine, was born June 5, 1872 in Denmark. She married Ole Wilhelm Martin November 17, 1895. Ole was born in Norway in 1849 and died in 1936. Carrie and Ole farmed south of Nelson, MN next to Jens and Anna. They had 13 children (2 girls and 1 boy died in infancy): Ames, Milo, Minor, Elvin, Theodore, Elle, Anna, Orville, Alfred, Alice, Martha, Manville and Charley. Caroline died 20 Oct 1945 in Alexandria Twp, MN.  She is buried in the Nelson Cemetery.

Niels Peter Anderson, born November 18, 1874 and died May 20, 1878 in Denmark.

Elsie (Else) Marie was born June 08, 1877 in Denmark and died May 26, 1925. Elsie never married and she is buried in Nelson Cemetery east of Nelson, MN.

Nelzena (Zena) was born4 Feb 1880 in Denmark. She married Emmet F. Apley, and they lived in Burnstad, ND. They had seven children:  Elisabeth, Margretta, Leander, George, William, Nellie and James.. Other information we have found gives the spelling of her name as Nielsine (Nelsina) Petrine Anderson, and that she died June 2, 1959 in Portland Oregon.  Nelsina died 2 Jun 1959 in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 79.

Elise Thomine (Lizzy) was born June 12, 1882, in Denmark. From the age of about two, Elise lived with Jens’ brother Nils and his wife Kjersten, who came to Minnesota a few years before Jens and who did not have children of their own. Elise married Soren Jensen on November 25, 1903, and they farmed west of Nelson until their retirement. Elise and Soren had five children: Harold V., Clarence, Albert, Ruth E., and Lester. Soren died in 1961 and Elise died January 30, 1970.  She spent the last 10 years of her life at Bethany Home in Alexandria, MN.

Anders (Andrew) Christian was born May 14, 1888, and was baptized in the Danish Church in Nelson on August 7, 1888. He served in WWI. Andrew married Myrtle Florence Lee, and they lived in Carpio, ND, then Seattle, WA, where he passed away April 22, 1963. He and his wife had several children.

Nels Christian, born March 20, 1885, died April 10, 1929.

Nels was born on the home farm south of Nelson, MN in Alexandria Township. He was baptized in the Danish Church in Nelson April 10, 1885. His sponsors were Nils and Kjersten Andersen and Christian Jensen.

Nels went to church and school in Nelson. He worked out as a hired hand and fished. He also worked in the harvest fields of North Dakota in the fall. As an adult Nels farmed east of Nelson by Smith Lake.

On June 11, 1920 Nels married Catherine Louise Dohman Swore. He was stepfather to Catherine’s four children, Edna, Lina, Oscar, and Donald. Donald assumed the Anderson name. Catherine and Nels had two children: Evelyn Christina, (3/04/1921- 7/18/1999), and Delmer Nels (5/19/1927 - 7/06/2007). Nels and Catherine farmed until about 1924 or 25, then moved to Osakis where Nels worked as a truck driver, worked on the railroad, and various other jobs. At one point he was helping to dig sewers and a large rock fell on his heel. He was unable to work after that time and later developed creeping paralysis. Nels died April 10, 1929, and is buried next to Catherine in the Nelson Cemetery.

See the history of Catherine Dohman Swore Anderson for additional information.  We have not been able to find a photo of Nels.