Taylor Sylvester Awaken the Dead: Nels Nelson Nels was born in Raklev Denmark on September 2 1858.

His parents were Christen Neilsen and Kristen Pedersdatter. Ten years prior to his birth, Denmark was ruled by a supreme monarchy. Revolutions occurred during 1848 and 1849 that changed political structures throughout Western Europe. The middle class found its voice and influence during this time. The new Danish constitution gave the people freedom of religion and speech. During that same time period, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entered Denmark and Scandinavia for the first time to share their message. Erastus Snow and Peter Olsen Hansen were the first missionaries to preach in Denmark. They arrived in Copenhagen during the summer of 1850. It is likely that Christen and Kristen were baptized during this time. These events are very important because they will set a course for the rest of Nels Nelsons life. Christen Nielsen died in 1862 leaving his wife a widow. He and Kristen had been married 9 years. There was little opportunity for her in her homeland. Kristen immigrated to the United States with her fouryear-old son. Many Scandinavian converts to the LDS church immigrated to the U.S. that year. They sought the opportunity to settle in the western territories. They believed it was were the modern Zion would be organized. Immigration to the United States was relatively easy. Europeans would buy boat tickets to the states. Many people left Europe for the states to find jobs and a better quality of life. These immigrants would travel across the Atlantic Ocean and settle in big cities like New York. For an LDS, immigrant, this was only half the voyage. Their time as a passenger was over. Their pioneer trek had begun. Church leaders organized handcart companies to help groups of immigrants travel across the plains. At some point, Kristen and Nels traveled with the William B. Preston wagon company. It appears that she went on the trek using Jensen as her last name. Kristen Nelson must have been a strong woman. She pushed a handcart for a part of the journey. She did this while taking care of her little boy. The travelers were charitable and would take care of each other. Nels probably had many people watching over him on the trek. He was only four so he probably didnt walk very much. Pioneers were under constant danger from animals, Indians, and weather. Many of them lost their lives on the western trails. The Preston Company traveled through parts of Nebraska and Wyoming. Kristen and Nels were fortunate to have survived that trek west. They arrived in Utah in 1863. Many wagon leaders were ordinary people. William B. Preston was a Latter Day-Saint bishop. He was baptized in 1957 and was immediately put to work in the Church. During 1863 and 64, he led two trips for the poor and needy from the Missouri river to Utah. A telegraph message described the companys condition as follows: EMIGRANT TRAIN.Unexpectedly to everybody, but that one person who "just expected he would be in on Thursday," Capt. [William B.] Preston's train arrived yesterday forenoon. There were forty-nine church wagons and nine others of private individuals; three hundred and seventy-eight personschiefly Danes and Swedes, left the Missouri river, of which number, five children, four women, and one man

had died on the plains, and four children were born during the seventy days journey. Seven oxen died on the down journey and eleven died on the return. Capt. Preston looked well, considered that he had had a favorable trip, and the company seemed composed of very substantial, sober, good people. It is clear that these people traveling were from Scandinavia. The Nelsons were a part of one of these companies. Kristen got to start her life over. She settled in northern Utah in a recently organized town called Smithfield. There she met Jens O. Petersen, a Danish man who immigrated to Utah from Copenhagen. They were married in the endowment house in Salt Lake City in October of 1864. It appears that this was a plural marriage because records show that Petersen had another wife and they were having children during the same time period. Records also show that Kristen had four more children with Petersen. Nels Nelson grew up with Petersen as a father figure. He had sixteen half siblings. Hamilton wrote that Petersen was cruel to her father. This makes sense because Nels wasnt his legitimate son. There were so many children in the household that Nels was probably overlooked and undervalued. Poor little Nels seems to have grown tired of his situation and decided to run away from home in Smithfield. Young Nels Nelson moved to Logan, Utah with a family called Williams. They were very good to him. It was common for children to live with others families if their parents couldnt afford to care for them. Nels was able to secure work and provide for himself during his adolescence. Nels worked various jobs during his teenage years. He helped to build a road through Logan Canyon and was a water boy for the railroad workers. This is interesting because the Transcontinental Railroad was being built near the same time. There was much need for railroad working during this time. Nels probably spent much of his youth at work in the mountains. Due to the need to support himself, Nels didnt receive much education. Nels met his future wife Eliza Christensen in Brigham City. They were married in the endowment house in Salt Lake City on November 29. 1879. Nels was 21 years and Eliza was 19 years old. The endowment house served as a temporary temple until the Salt Lake City Temple was completed in 1893. They lived for some years in Smithfield near Nels mother Kristen. Nels and Eliza had their first two children in Smithfield; Nels C. and Rosetta. Mr. Nelson was a visionary man. He decided to be a pioneer once more. There was an abundance of unclaimed land in the northern Idaho territory. Nels was anxious to own some land so he left his new family with a group to colonize part of this wild land. Many immigrants felt the same way. The upper Snake River valley was largely uninhabited during this time period. Many Mormon settlers began to move there to get land and build a town there. This area was close to Butte, Montana and a section of the railroad was being built there. The valley was a popular hunting and fishing location for the Indians and trappers. Hamilton wrote that Nelson and his brother-in-law traveled to what is now Rexburg, Idaho in 1982. Records from the Rexburg Historical Society state that a group of men led by Thomas E. Ricks (which included the same William B. Preston) went to survey the land that same year.

These men were traversing uncharted territory. There were no paths, roads or bridges. Nelson had a troublesome time in arriving. Most of this trouble came from crossing the Snake River. Hamilton claimed that Nelson had one of his horses swept away in the river. Ricks group returned to Utah and reported to the president of the church, John Taylor, that the land was fertile and suitable for farming. A small group worked during that winter to cut down sufficient trees for log homes and fences. That spring another group came to help colonize the town called Ricksburg (named after Thomas Ricks). Nels brought his family on his next trip. They brought a milk cow that Nels parents gave them. They spent their first year working on a church owned farm. Nels eventually got a parcel of land on what is now 107 North Center Street. Many people moved to the area during the late 1800s. The community was willing to accept anyone who came. The Rexburg population had doubled from 1883 to 1884. Nels obtained more land outside of town and built a ranch and a dug-out house. The Nelsons lived there until they saved enough materials to build a house in town. Nels and Eliza had 9 children one was born dead. They spent their time working on the ranch and clearing the land of the long sagebrush. Nels probably didnt mind all the work. He had been a mountain man before and was probably used to the hard work on the farm. In the 1900 census it shows that a Christina Peterson lived with the family. This is very likely to be Kristen Nelson, Nels mother. The land colonized by people like Nels became a state of the Union in 1890. It was largely thanks to these brave pioneers that there were places for people to live and civilization to enjoy. They made a home for themselves in the desert. Nels lived to be 84 years old. He died in Long Beach, California. He lived a life that many can only dream about. He traveled across an ocean, the western plains, and uncharted paths. He made a life for himself and his family. He was a hard worker and was one of the first settlers of Rexburg. He was a true pioneer. Lucile Hamilton said it this way, my parents were among the first pioneers to help build Rexburg, Idaho and Ricks Academy on the hill.