Photograph taken in 1898 in Landskrona, Sweden

left to right:
A nice family photograph of my great grandfather Anders Nelson and his brother in-law, Charlie Holm and Anders' brother August Nelson. August is holding Anders' son, Sture Albin Nelson. Charlie was the brother of my great aunt Amelia 'Aunt Molly' Nelson, who was August's wife.

August and Amelia Nelson were the first of the Nelson's to come to the states, arriving in 1900 in North Dakota. They started farming on a homestead in Painted Woods, North Dakota. In 1902 Anders immigrated to the states and also began farming in Dakota.

In October of 1903 Ander's wife Gertrude 'Gerda' Miljander Nelson arrived in Painted Woods with their children: Sture Albin, August Valentine, Anton Tony and the youngest, my grandmother Clara Amelia Nelson. On September 5th, 1905 Albert 'Bob' William Nelson was born in Painted Woods.

Anders and Gerda and family lived with August and Amelia for a few years and then lived at the farm of Amelia's brother, Charlie Holm. Anders and Gerda moved to their own farm in Painted Woods a year or so later.

Below is a classic Nelson Family portrait taken one hundred years ago this year on the family farm in Painted Woods in 1918.

The photograph was well preserved in my grandmother Clara's photo album. She wrote along the margins all the information and the full names of her brothers and parents. I truly thank her for this photograph.

left to right - top row standing:
My uncle Anton Tony Nelson, uncle August Valentine Nelson, uncle Albert 'Bob' William Nelson, my grandmother Clara Amelia Yunhild (Erickson) Nelson and Uncle Sture Albin Nelson in the uniform. Sture joined the Navy in January of 1918 and was discharged in October of 1919.

left to right - sitting:
My great grandparents Gertrude 'Gerda' (Miljander) and Anders Nelson.

It was the late Summer of 1918 and my uncle Sture was in the Navy and home on-leave visiting his family. Soon after this photograph was taken he would be heading to the east coast and departing on a ship out of the Brooklyn (NY) Port bound for the Atlantic and Europe.