Andør Møller Nilsen (Andrew Miller Nelson)
Andør was a fisherman in Norway, he told the story of he and his half brother John, working in the crew of a fishing boat in the North Sea, when a huge storm came up suddenly. All of the crew where bailing water out of the boat as quickly as they could, to keep it from sinking. There were about 100 boats at sea when the storm began, and when it was all over only about 10 or 15 boats returned to the shore. It was a terrible tragedy.
He married Maren Johanna Johnsdatter 3 Dec 1883 in Hattfjelldal, Nordland, Norway. They had four boys in Norway: Emil Georglykke Nelson 14 Mar 1892; Julian Engvall Nelson 12 Sep 1883; Martin Kristian Zoeger Nelson 5 Jun 1889; and Conrad Angle N Nelson 28 Feb 1886.
In 1893 Andor immigrated to America, to seek a better way of life for his family. He bought passage on a steam ship. Part way through the voyage, the ships engine had trouble and stopped. The Captain told the crew they had better rig up sails. The crew had never been trained to do this so the Captain asked the passengers if anyone knew how to rig sails. Andor had this skill, from working on the fishing boats, and he volunteered. For his service, the Captain moved him up to the crew quarters, and allowed him to eat with the crew for the remainder of the voyage.
He went to Minnesota, with the intention of working to earn enough money to bring his wife and children over as soon as possible. Meanwhile, his wife Maren Johanna, had a difficult time making ends meet back in Norway. She had 4 young boys to feed and had to take in her neighbors laundry to earn enough money to get by. Andor changed his name to Andrew Miller Nelson in the U.S. It was a common practice among immigrants to "Americanize" their names.
Andrew worked hard for two years, and finally earned enough money to buy passage on a steamship for his family. As he was walking to the ticket office to do this, he was robbed and lost everything. All he had saved for two years was gone, and his poor wife and children were stuck thousands of miles away, until he could earn it again. He worked for another two years. This time, all went as planned and he purchased the tickets which cost $137.50. The little family departed Norway at Trondheim Harbor on November 3, 1897, on board a ship called "Juno." Their destination was listed as Hazel Run, Minnesota. The Voyage probably took about 2 weeks, arriving in America in the middle of November, 1897. It would have been a cold time to come to Minnesota!
Andrew and Maren had their last son in America, Arthur Pryds Nelson was born October 19, 1898 in Doran, Wilkin, Minnesota.
Andrew worked for the railroad, in Moorehead, Minnesota. He was given free land in a flood zone, and built a house on the property. He later sold the house and property, and used the money to move west, to Oregon. They settled, in the small town of Roseburg, in Douglas county, Oregon. Andrew's first job there, was clearing land, which consisted of felling trees and digging out stumps to make farm land. Andrew learned to speak English, but he had a thick accent and would often start a sentence in English, and finish it in Norwegian.
Andør was a fisherman in Norway, he told the story of he and his half brother John, working in the crew of a fishing boat in the North Sea, when a huge storm came up suddenly. All of the crew where bailing water out of the boat as quickly as they could, to keep it from sinking. There were about 100 boats at sea when the storm began, and when it was all over only about 10 or 15 boats returned to the shore. It was a terrible tragedy.
He married Maren Johanna Johnsdatter 3 Dec 1883 in Hattfjelldal, Nordland, Norway. They had four boys in Norway: Emil Georglykke Nelson 14 Mar 1892; Julian Engvall Nelson 12 Sep 1883; Martin Kristian Zoeger Nelson 5 Jun 1889; and Conrad Angle N Nelson 28 Feb 1886.
In 1893 Andor immigrated to America, to seek a better way of life for his family. He bought passage on a steam ship. Part way through the voyage, the ships engine had trouble and stopped. The Captain told the crew they had better rig up sails. The crew had never been trained to do this so the Captain asked the passengers if anyone knew how to rig sails. Andor had this skill, from working on the fishing boats, and he volunteered. For his service, the Captain moved him up to the crew quarters, and allowed him to eat with the crew for the remainder of the voyage.
He went to Minnesota, with the intention of working to earn enough money to bring his wife and children over as soon as possible. Meanwhile, his wife Maren Johanna, had a difficult time making ends meet back in Norway. She had 4 young boys to feed and had to take in her neighbors laundry to earn enough money to get by. Andor changed his name to Andrew Miller Nelson in the U.S. It was a common practice among immigrants to "Americanize" their names.
Andrew worked hard for two years, and finally earned enough money to buy passage on a steamship for his family. As he was walking to the ticket office to do this, he was robbed and lost everything. All he had saved for two years was gone, and his poor wife and children were stuck thousands of miles away, until he could earn it again. He worked for another two years. This time, all went as planned and he purchased the tickets which cost $137.50. The little family departed Norway at Trondheim Harbor on November 3, 1897, on board a ship called "Juno." Their destination was listed as Hazel Run, Minnesota. The Voyage probably took about 2 weeks, arriving in America in the middle of November, 1897. It would have been a cold time to come to Minnesota!
Andrew and Maren had their last son in America, Arthur Pryds Nelson was born October 19, 1898 in Doran, Wilkin, Minnesota.
Andrew worked for the railroad, in Moorehead, Minnesota. He was given free land in a flood zone, and built a house on the property. He later sold the house and property, and used the money to move west, to Oregon. They settled, in the small town of Roseburg, in Douglas county, Oregon. Andrew's first job there, was clearing land, which consisted of felling trees and digging out stumps to make farm land. Andrew learned to speak English, but he had a thick accent and would often start a sentence in English, and finish it in Norwegian.
Andør Møller Nilsen (Andrew Miller Nelson)
Andør was a fisherman in Norway, he told the story of he and his half brother John, working in the crew of a fishing boat in the North Sea, when a huge storm came up suddenly. All of the crew where bailing water out of the boat as quickly as they could, to keep it from sinking. There were about 100 boats at sea when the storm began, and when it was all over only about 10 or 15 boats returned to the shore. It was a terrible tragedy.
He married Maren Johanna Johnsdatter 3 Dec 1883 in Hattfjelldal, Nordland, Norway. They had four boys in Norway: Emil Georglykke Nelson 14 Mar 1892; Julian Engvall Nelson 12 Sep 1883; Martin Kristian Zoeger Nelson 5 Jun 1889; and Conrad Angle N Nelson 28 Feb 1886.
In 1893 Andor immigrated to America, to seek a better way of life for his family. He bought passage on a steam ship. Part way through the voyage, the ships engine had trouble and stopped. The Captain told the crew they had better rig up sails. The crew had never been trained to do this so the Captain asked the passengers if anyone knew how to rig sails. Andor had this skill, from working on the fishing boats, and he volunteered. For his service, the Captain moved him up to the crew quarters, and allowed him to eat with the crew for the remainder of the voyage.
He went to Minnesota, with the intention of working to earn enough money to bring his wife and children over as soon as possible. Meanwhile, his wife Maren Johanna, had a difficult time making ends meet back in Norway. She had 4 young boys to feed and had to take in her neighbors laundry to earn enough money to get by. Andor changed his name to Andrew Miller Nelson in the U.S. It was a common practice among immigrants to "Americanize" their names.
Andrew worked hard for two years, and finally earned enough money to buy passage on a steamship for his family. As he was walking to the ticket office to do this, he was robbed and lost everything. All he had saved for two years was gone, and his poor wife and children were stuck thousands of miles away, until he could earn it again. He worked for another two years. This time, all went as planned and he purchased the tickets which cost $137.50. The little family departed Norway at Trondheim Harbor on November 3, 1897, on board a ship called "Juno." Their destination was listed as Hazel Run, Minnesota. The Voyage probably took about 2 weeks, arriving in America in the middle of November, 1897. It would have been a cold time to come to Minnesota!
Andrew and Maren had their last son in America, Arthur Pryds Nelson was born October 19, 1898 in Doran, Wilkin, Minnesota.
Andrew worked for the railroad, in Moorehead, Minnesota. He was given free land in a flood zone, and built a house on the property. He later sold the house and property, and used the money to move west, to Oregon. They settled, in the small town of Roseburg, in Douglas county, Oregon. Andrew's first job there, was clearing land, which consisted of felling trees and digging out stumps to make farm land. Andrew learned to speak English, but he had a thick accent and would often start a sentence in English, and finish it in Norwegian.
Andør was a fisherman in Norway, he told the story of he and his half brother John, working in the crew of a fishing boat in the North Sea, when a huge storm came up suddenly. All of the crew where bailing water out of the boat as quickly as they could, to keep it from sinking. There were about 100 boats at sea when the storm began, and when it was all over only about 10 or 15 boats returned to the shore. It was a terrible tragedy.
He married Maren Johanna Johnsdatter 3 Dec 1883 in Hattfjelldal, Nordland, Norway. They had four boys in Norway: Emil Georglykke Nelson 14 Mar 1892; Julian Engvall Nelson 12 Sep 1883; Martin Kristian Zoeger Nelson 5 Jun 1889; and Conrad Angle N Nelson 28 Feb 1886.
In 1893 Andor immigrated to America, to seek a better way of life for his family. He bought passage on a steam ship. Part way through the voyage, the ships engine had trouble and stopped. The Captain told the crew they had better rig up sails. The crew had never been trained to do this so the Captain asked the passengers if anyone knew how to rig sails. Andor had this skill, from working on the fishing boats, and he volunteered. For his service, the Captain moved him up to the crew quarters, and allowed him to eat with the crew for the remainder of the voyage.
He went to Minnesota, with the intention of working to earn enough money to bring his wife and children over as soon as possible. Meanwhile, his wife Maren Johanna, had a difficult time making ends meet back in Norway. She had 4 young boys to feed and had to take in her neighbors laundry to earn enough money to get by. Andor changed his name to Andrew Miller Nelson in the U.S. It was a common practice among immigrants to "Americanize" their names.
Andrew worked hard for two years, and finally earned enough money to buy passage on a steamship for his family. As he was walking to the ticket office to do this, he was robbed and lost everything. All he had saved for two years was gone, and his poor wife and children were stuck thousands of miles away, until he could earn it again. He worked for another two years. This time, all went as planned and he purchased the tickets which cost $137.50. The little family departed Norway at Trondheim Harbor on November 3, 1897, on board a ship called "Juno." Their destination was listed as Hazel Run, Minnesota. The Voyage probably took about 2 weeks, arriving in America in the middle of November, 1897. It would have been a cold time to come to Minnesota!
Andrew and Maren had their last son in America, Arthur Pryds Nelson was born October 19, 1898 in Doran, Wilkin, Minnesota.
Andrew worked for the railroad, in Moorehead, Minnesota. He was given free land in a flood zone, and built a house on the property. He later sold the house and property, and used the money to move west, to Oregon. They settled, in the small town of Roseburg, in Douglas county, Oregon. Andrew's first job there, was clearing land, which consisted of felling trees and digging out stumps to make farm land. Andrew learned to speak English, but he had a thick accent and would often start a sentence in English, and finish it in Norwegian.
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