My great grandfather Anders Andrew Nelson (Nilsson) had emigrated to North Dakota from Landskrona, Sweden in June of 1902. His journey had taken him from Landskrona to Malmo, Sweden, then to Copenhagen, Denmark. From there he shipped out to Liverpool, England and waited for an Atlantic steamer heading to America.

In late September of 1903, my Great Grandmother Gertrude 'Gerda' (Miljander) Nelson (originally Nilsson) along with her four children Sture Albin, Anton Nick, August Valentine and my Grandmother Clara (Klara) Amelia Yunhild Nelson (Erickson) left Landskrona, for a journey to America. Clara was a little over five months old at the time.

The Nelson's made it to Malmo, Sweden by train and soon boarded the 'S.S. Scandinavian Amerika' steamer and sailed for Copenhagen, Denmark. On October 7th the family boarded the 'SS United States' at the Port of Copenhagen and headed to America. They arrived in the New York Harbor at Ellis Island on October 19th, 1903.

Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to America for over 60 years from 1892, until it closed in 1954. Gerda and her children passed through immigration, and like Anders before them, headed to 42nd Street to Grand Central Station and began the long train ride to Bismarck, North Dakota where Anders would be happily meeting them.

A classic Nelson (Nilsson) Family portrait (below) taken over one hundred years ago on the family farm in Painted Woods, North Dakota 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:
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.

left to right - sitting:
Great Grandparents Gertrude 'Gerda' (Miljander) and Anders Andrew Nelson (Nilsson)

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, Sture would be heading to Virginia and the Atlantic coast, where he would be assigned to a Navy ship as a welder.

The last photograph below is of the Nelson (Nilsson) Family that was taken in Painted Woods in 1925. Anders and Gerda with their six children, Sture Albin, Anton Nick, August Valentine, Albert 'Bob' and Clara Amelia Nelson can be seen. My father, Ernest Anders Erickson, at three years old, stands in front of his mother, Clara.