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John A. Nelson, Sr., of
Cardston, is engaged in fruit farming near Nampa, Idaho. He was born in
Farmington, Utah, on the 13th of September, 1854, a son of Robert and
Maria (Josephs) Nelson, both natives of Scotland. Robert Nelson joined
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in that country and
subsequently came to the United States and emigrated to Utah. He located
at Smithfield and there followed agricultural pursuits until his demise,
at the age of eighty-three years. He was a devoted member of the church
and was one of the prominent men in the community in which he resided.
His wife also died in her eighty-third year. John A. Nelson, Sr.,
received his education in the schools of Smithfield, Utah, and
subsequently bought land near that town, lie engaged in general farming
there until 1890, when he came to Alberta and located near Cardston, and
homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, all of which was raw prairie
land. He made the trip to Cardston in company with Mark Beezei', Don C.
Hyde, Ezra and Hiram Hansen and J. W. Woolf. On the land homesteaded by
Mr. Nelson there was a stone quarry and this quarry furnished the
foundations for most of the buildings in Cardston, including the
courthouse. He and John Turner constructed and used the first limekiln
in this section of the country. In 1920 My. Nelson returned to Idaho and
he is now a fruit farmer at Nampa. He is an active member of the church,
to which he devotes a large part of his time, and he now holds the
position of high priest.
To Mr. and Mrs. Nelson
twelve children were born, two of whom died in infancy. The living
children are: Maria, the wife of Alonzo Lamb of Woolford, a successful
agriculturist; Ella, the wife of Joseph F. Allen of Nampa, Idaho,
formerly of Caldwell, Alberta; Lileth, the wife of H. C. Smith of Salt
Lake; Rachae], the wife of W. A. Woolford, a Prominent farmer near
Woolford; John A., who is also a farmer near Woolford and who was for
six years on a mission in the Samoa islands, three and one- half years
of which time he was president of the mission; Seth H., a barrister
practicing at Cardston; Cleveland and Lorenzo S., who are farming near
Woolford; Hazel, who is the wife of Milton Burgess of Nampa, Idaho; and
Darrell T., a farmer at Woolford. |
