Obituary Record

Peter Kruger Nelson
Died on 2/4/1928
Buried in Blair Cemetery

This long obituary is taken from the collection in the Notebook of Long Obituaries. The original newspaper article can be found in the Blair Library, Genealogy Room.

#1-Published in The Tribune, February 9, 1928

PETER NELSON DIES

SUCCUMBS TO LONG ILLNESS ON SATURDAY MORNING

Peter Krojgaard Nelson was born in Burke, Denmark, December 17, 1851, and died at his home north of the city last Saturday morning after a lingering illness. The deceased came to the United States at the age of twenty-five years and settled at Omaha where he lived for some time. He later moved to Colorado and resided there for four years after which he moved to a farm near Ft. Calhoun.

In October 1887 he was married to Bertha Rasmussen and to this union nine children were born, one of whom preceded the father in death. In 1901 the family moved to a farm west of Blair and lived there until 1911 when they moved to the home north of the city. The deceased was one of the pioneer residents of Washington county and was held in high respect by all who knew him.

Surviving him besides his bereaved wife are: two sons, Hans and George; four daughters, Mrs. Hanna Kuhr, Mrs. Annie Hansen, Mrs. Helen Woodard, Mrs. Eleanor Jensen, Mrs. Alvina Stewart and Claire Nelson; a sister, Mrs. Hans Jeppesen of Kennard, a brother, Jens Nelson of Denmark, and thirteen grandchildren.

Funeral services were held from the Danish Lutheran church at 2:30 o’clock on Monday afternoon, the Rev. H. Nielsen officiating, after which the body was laid to rest in Blair cemetery.

(note: Although the obituary says four daughters are surviving, there are six women listed.)

# 2 - - from The Pilot, February 8, 1928

PETER KRUGER NELSON PASSES

DEATH CAME EARLY SUNDAY MORNING FOLLOWING AN ILLNESS OF A WEEK; WAS JUST PAST 76 YEARS

Peter Kruger Nelson passed peace fully away at 9:45 o’clock Saturday morning from pneumonia following an illness of just a week, at his home on north Walker avenue, all the children being present.

The funeral service was conducted by Rev. H. Nielsen, pastor at the Danish Lutheran church at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon, the sermon being preached by Rev. Fred Hansen of Audubon, Iowa, a relative of the family.

The church was crowded with the relatives and friends and the floral offerings were unusually large and beautiful. The music was furnished by Miss Ida Hansen and Gifford Dixon, singing each a solo and then a duet, with Prof. Waldo B. Nielsen at the organ.

The active pallbearers were William Sas, Frank Siert, Henry Grabbe, Jas. T. Nelson, George Kuhr and Elmer Rasmussen. The honorary pallbearers were Detlef Henningsen, Hans Peter Christensen, Thomas Anderson, Chris Beck, Peter Follen, Ola Jacobson, Magnus Johnson and Louis Farnberg.

Burial was in the Blair cemetery by the side of a son, Albert, whose death occurred in 1904.

Peter Kruger Nelson was born in Durke, Denmark, Dec. 17, 1851, so was 76 years, one month and one day old at the time of his death. He came to this country when 25 years of age, coming direct to Omaha, Neb., where he worked for a time.

Later he went on a farm near Ft. Calhoun and one a cold day in October, the 25th, 1887, he took Miss Martha Rasmussen with him in an old buckboard wagon to Omaha and they were married.

The first year of their married life was spent on the farm near Ft. Calhoun, then they bought the old N. C. Tarleton farm located about four miles west of Blair, which was their home until they moved to the place on north Walker avenue in 1911.

Nine children were born to them, all of whom are living but Albert, who died in 1904. They are Hannah, Mrs. Herman Kuhr of Orum; Hans Nelson of Omaha; Anna, Mrs. Hans Hansen, who lives out on the old farm west of town; Helen, Mrs. Howard Woodard, of this city; Eleanor, Mrs. Harland Jensen of Arlington; Elvina, Mrs. A. S. Stewart of Norfolk, Nebraska; and George and Claire who lived at home.

Besides these, he is survived by his wife; one sister, Mrs. Hans Jeppesen of Kennard; and one brother, Jens, who lives in Denmark. There are thirteen grandchildren surviving him.

On the 25th of last October, the children planned and successfully carried out a surprise on their parents in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary. It was held in the Scheffler hall and some 125 relatives and friends were present on the happy occasion, including all the children.

Mr. Nelson was always a good citizen, hard working, honest and successful as was his right. He was kind, loving and indulgent in his home where his chief pleasure was. His friends were numbered by his acquaintances, for he was of such sterling worth and character that he commanded immediate respect, which soon warmed into friendship.

That he will be greatly missed goes without saying for he was up town almost every day meeting and greeting his friends. The sorrowing family have the sincere sympathy of everyone in the sudden passing of husband, father, grandfather and friend.

~There is an additional obituary published in the Enterprise on February 9, 1928. It does not have any additional information.

Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.

Printed in the Tribune on 2/9/1928


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