Anders Nilson Life History

  ANDERS NILSON    (On genealogy sheets this name is listed as Anders Nilson, Anders Nilsson, and on the tombstone he was buried under the name of Andrew Nelson.)

 This life history was compiled by Brenda Bailey.  The information cam from Julia Nelson Shaffer, Mary Nelson Lees,  May Nelson, Estella Kunz, Bea Smith, Wanda Critchfield, Wilma Parish, LaRae Warr, Betty Shelby, Carol Handy, & Nile Critchfield.  Additional information was taken from Gladys Beata Owens Merrill (daughter of Etta Nelson Owens) and Josie Mill (Granddaughter of Anna Bettsina Nelson Simons)

Nilsson, Anders born 22 February 1827 in Odenas, Elfsborg, Sweden, the youngest child of Nils Svensson and Kjersti (Cherstin) Andersson.  Anders was the second child with the same name as Anders the First was stillborn.  There were five sons and three daughters.  Death, however, was a constant visitor.  Following the dath of Anders the 1st, all three sister died.  His brother Johannes died at age 24 and Sven at age 21.  Ander's mother died at the age of 47 when he was seven and his father was anything but kind and loving.  His life as a boy was not a happy one.  They lived and worked together for 15 more years.  Anders was 26 when his father died.   He left home while quite young and worked for other people. 


He joined the Church while he was in Sweden.  Five months after his father's death, when about 25 years old he married Anna Lena Jacobsen on Nov. 13, 1853.  Four children were born in Sweden:  Swanty, Inga Christina, Jacob, and Anna Carolina.
One evening he heard a Mormon Missionary preach and was very interested.  When asked by a friend after the meeting what he thought of it, he replied, “If ever anyone spoke the truth, that man did.”  He continued to attend the meetings, but his wife was very much opposed to it and did everything within her power to stop him.  He couldn’t even pray in peace in his own home, as she would pound on the doors or windows and in many ways disturb him.  So, he would go out into the woods to pray.  She finally told him if he attended another meeting, she would drown their two children in the lake nearby.  One evening, after making it a subject of prayer, he decided to attend the meeting in spite of her threat.  He was rather upset, however, as he looked back to see her leading the children by their hands towards the lake.  He wondered whether or not to go on, but felt it was Satan trying to keep him from doing right, so went on his way.  When he returned home, his wife was there alone and he was afraid she had carried out her threat.  He then heard some noise in the attic and found she had hid the children there.  She still remained bitter.

After his baptism he was very anxious to come to Zion but was reluctant to leave his family.  He made it a subject of prayer and finally reached the decision to make a home for them and leave them as comfortable as possible.  At that time, a complete change came over his wife.  Her bitterness left and she was a different person.  She was baptized on 9 January 1862 and they made plans and came to America in 1863.  They left their home in Sweden and came to America on a sailing vessel named "The Electric".  They set sail from Hamberg, Germany on April 18, 1862 going down the Elbe to Gluckstadt Roads.  Anchor was lifted there on April 22 and sailed to a point off the coast of Hanover.  The ship waited there for a change in the wind and finally sailed out into the North Sea on April 25, 1862.  It took 48 days to complete the trip and they landed at Castle Garden, New York on June 6, 1862.  

Anders and his family arrived at Florence, Nebraska on June 19, 1862 and while in that area during the month of July, the three youngest children died of cholera, two of them on July 15th.  They joined the Joseph Horne's Company which had 570 immigrating saints from Scandinavia.  This company left Florence Nebraska on July 29th, 1862 with 52 wagons.  They were blessed on this part of their journey and arrived safely in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 1, 1862. 

He obtained work at a saw mill owned by Lorenzo Young until the family got settled in Grantsville, where he made a living by farming.

On November 18, 1864 Aaron Emil was added to the family.  Swanty was not 11 years old.  Anders was sealed to Anna Lena in the Endowment House in Salt Lake city on April 1, 1865.  Their children, living and dead, were sealed to them during the 1800's. 

Anders worked in the grist mill about ten miles east of Grantsville.  He said he used to take lunch consisting mostly of bread and molasses and started to walk to work.  Unless someone came along and gave him a ride, he would walk all the way.  He really could walk.  He later ran a saw mill.  The family lived close by J. Rheuben Clark.

Anders (Nelson) Nilsson home in Grantsville, Utah

On August 4, 1866 Anders married and was sealed to Beata Toresson in the Endowment House.  She had followed him to Grantsville, so he married her.  Both families lived together for sometime.  They had nine children, 4 sons and 5 daughters.  With both wives he had 14 children.

There was a little friction between the wives.  Anders  bought a farm and moved the second family to the farm.  That kept him busy as long as his boys stayed with him.  He did the farming and cared for the animals but he never did the milking.

Anna Lena spent most of her time in Oakley, Idaho, with Swanty.  After the family grew up and left home he sold the farm and bought a home close to town.  He would go to the temple occasionally but it was about 38 miles and no good way of going very often.  When he went his donation would usually be a five dollar god piece.

Anders received a Patriarical Blessing on his 40th birthday February 22, 1867, which promised him that he would be a savior of his Father's House.  The temple work was completed for Ander's parents while he was still alive.  Other work was done duing the period of 1948 through 1950 greatly through the efforts of Julia Ann and John Martin Shaffer. 

Beata died on January 15, 1914.   Anders died on 6 May 1914 in Grantsville, Utah, at the age of 87.  Mary Ann Lees had spent much of her married life to that time caring for her parents at the Gransville home.  They were buried in the Grantsville Cemetery alongside Anna Lena.
He had a white bushy beard but very little hair.  He was a man of great faith and honesty and remained steadfast to the principles of the Gospel all his life.  He was a High Priest in the Grantsville Ward.

On May 8, 1975 some of the grandchildren went to the Grantsville Cemetery and found the sandstone markers had deteriorated so badly they could hardly make out the names.  The markers were replaced with granite headstone which carries the names of Anders, Anna Lena, Beata and John.  Part of the family lot was turned back to the cemetery to provide for perpetual care of the gravesites.

LIFE HISTORY OF ANDERS (NELSON) NILSSON     pg 1

Compiled by Cheryle Critchfield Bateman 27 April 1997

Anders Nelson (Nilsson) was born in Odenes, Alvsborg, Sweden, on February 22, 1827, the son of Nils Swensson and Cherstin Andersdotter.

His life as a boy was not a happy one. His mother died when he was seven and his father was anything but kind and loving. He left home whi~e quite young and worked for other people.

When about 26 years old, he married Anna Lena Jacobsen
(Jacobsdotter). Five children were born to them. Four of them, Swanty, Inga Christina, Jacob and Anna Carolina were born in Sweden. Another son, Aaron Emil, was born after they emigrated to the United States and settled in Grantsville.

Anders was a quiet, religious man. He had a white bushy beard but very little hair. While in Sweden he was a cobbler by trade. Most of his work was done at night after the other work was done. Pine sticks cut into long thin pieces were used as fuel for light, and Swanty, being the oldest child, had to sit many hours holding these lighted sticks while his father mended or made shoes.

One evening he heard a Mormon missionary preach and was very interested. When asked by a friend after the meeting what he thought of it, he replied, "If ever anyone spoke the truth, that man did." He continued to attend the meetings but his wife was very much opposed to it and did everything within her power to stop him. He couldn't even pray in peace in his own home, as she would pound on the doors or windows and in many ways disturb him. So he
would go out into the woods to pray. She finally told him if he attended another meeting she would drown their two children in the lake nearby. One evening, after making it a subject of prayer, he decided to attend the meeting in spite of her threat. He was rather upset, however, as he looked back to see her leading the children by their hands towards the lake. He wondered whether or not to go on, but felt it was Satan trying to keep him from doing right, so he went on his way. When he returned home, his wife was there alone and he was afraid she had carried out her threat. He then heard some noise in the attic and found she had hid the children there. She still remained bitter, but he was baptized on
October 9, 1859.

After his baptism he was very anxious to go to zion but was reluctant to leave his family. He again made it a subject of prayer and finally reached the decision to make a home for them and leave them as comfortable as possible. At that time, a complete change came over his wife; her bitterness left and she was a different person. She was baptized in 1861.

They left their home in Sweden and came to America in 1862 on a sailing vessel. It took nine weeks to cross the ocean. While camping at Winters Quarters in 1862, three of their children, Inga Christina, Jacob and Anna Carolina died of cholera and were buried there. Inga Christina and Jacob died on 15 July and Anna Carolina died on 18 July. Anders, Anna Lena and Swanty probably traveled in one of the "Down-And-Back" church wagon teams from Florence, Nebraska to Grantsville, Utah. Anders became very ill and had to ride in the wagon most of the way so Swanty and his mother walked.

They arrived in Utah and settled in Grantsville. When they
arrived in Zion, Anders obtained work in a gristmill (a mill for
grinding grain) about ten miles east of Grantsville. He said he
used to take a lunch consisting mostly of bread and molasses and
then he started to walk to work. Sometimes someone came along and
gave him a ride and if not, he would walk all the way -- and I am
saying he really could walk. He later ran a sawmill owned by
Lorenzo Young. He also freighted with his son, Swanty to Salt
Lake, driving ox teams. The round trip usually took a week or
more. The family lived close to J. Reuben Clark.

Anders married Beata Toresson on 4 August 1866 in Grantsville.  They had nine children -- four sons and five daughters making him the father of fourteen children. His daughter, Julia Nelson Shaffer, wrote, "I don't know exactly where my mother fits into the picture, but Father said she followed him out to Grantsville, so of course he had to marry her. He and mother received their second endowments which seemed to please them very much. Both families lived together for sometime. Then father bought a farm and moved the second family on the farm, and of course that kept him busy as long as his boys stayed with him. He did the farming and cared for the animals but never did the milking. Mother did that unless there was a mean cow, then she called on me if I was home. When they all left him, he couldn't keep up with the work so he sold the farm and bought a home close to town. Here mother died and about six months later father died."

Father would go to the temple occasionally but it was about thirty-eight miles and there was no good way of going very often, but when he went his donation would usually consist of a five dollar gold piece.

Anna Lena spent most of her time in Oakley with her son, Swanty. She died on 24 December 1889 in Grantsville, Utah, and is buried there.

Anders Nelson was a man of great faith and honesty and remained steadfast to the principles of the Gospel all his life. He was a High Priest in the Grantsville Ward. He died on 6 May 1914 at the age of 87 in Grantsville, Utah, and is buried in the Grantsville Cemetery.

(As told by his Daughter, Mary Nelson Lees and written by his daughter, Julia Nelson Shaffer)

Also taken from a life history compiled by Brenda Bailey, with information from May Nelson and Estella Kunz, Bea Smith, Wanda and Nile Critchfield, Wilma Parish, LaRae Warr, Betty Shelby and Carol Handy.

(Compiled by Cheryle C. Bateman, 27 April 1997)

Copy of a Patriarchal Blessing given Anders Nilson,  Grantsville, Utah, 22 February 1867

 A Blessing given by John Smith, Patriarch, upon the head of Anders Nelson, son of Nils and Kiste Swenson, born in the town or Odenas, Sweden,  22 February, 1827.

Brother Anders, in the name of Jesus Christ, I place my hands upon thy head and ask God the Eternal Father to indite the blessing which is for you for thou art of the blood of Joseph and entitled to many blessings, therefore, prepare thy mind and be firm in the spirit that thy blessings may be meted out unto you according to y our deserts for there are many blessings in store for the faithful of the Children of God, therefore, I say unto you  conduct thyself through thy remaining years that you may be worthy of every blessing which is pronounced upon the faithful, for according to thy lineage and birthright thou art entitled to the blessing of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob  and to stand upon Mount Zion and to be numbered among the hundred and forty-four thousand; therefore be faithful and thou shalt not lose one jot or tittle of thy birthright, for the Lord knoweth the integrity of thine heart and wilt hear thy prayers and wilt answer thee according to thy work; therefore I say unto thee seek understanding with wisdom for thou shalt be called to administer in the Priesthood and to bear glad tidings to the nations of the earth; therefore be faithful to thy trust and honour thy calling and give praise unto thy Father who is in Heaven and be careful to shun the paths of the evil doer lest thou shalt fall by the way for there are many trials and temptations laid to ensnare the Elders of Israel.  If thou art faithful thou shalt overcome every difficulty and do a work upon the earth which shalt be handed down from generation to generation in houour and thy name be written in the Lambs book of life and thou shalt be the saviour of thy Father’s House.  This blessing I seal upon they head and I seal thee up unto Eternal life that you may come up in the morning of the first resurrection bringing with you many of the father’s house.  Even so, Amen.

The grave markers in the Grantsville Cemetary were so worn they were not readable.  Family members
had this headstone put in the cemetary depicting all the graves that are in the area where Anders Nelson was buried. 
They had one headstone made, not all of the people are buried in the same grave, just close by.



Anders Nilsson's home in Grantsville Utah - 2012