 1845 - 1926 (81 years)
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| Name |
Olofsson (Wilson) Nils-Gustav |
| Birth |
15 Feb 1845 |
Hulterstad, #10 Skarlöf, Kalmar County, Island of Öland, Sweden  [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
12 Mar 1926 |
Boxholm, Boone County, IA [1] |
| Burial |
Prairie Lawn Cemetery, Dayton, Boone County, IA. [1] |
| Notes |
- Nils-Gustav, also known as Ned Guy Wilson changed his name upon arriving in America. He was born on the Island of Oland near Smaland, Sweden on Feb. 15, 1845 and was the son of a merchant seaman. At the age of 15 years, he became a sailor and immigrated to America in 1860, seeing many of the great seaports of the word and later helping to bring supplies to the Union Army during the Civil War. He later settled in Chicago, Illinois where he became a tiller of the soil, farming a few years near Momence, IL but moved to Grant Township, Boone County, IA in 1869. He was 24 years of age when he came to Grant Township and with the money he had saved during his life's labors, he purchased 160 acres (SW 1/4) of virgin prairie in Section 3. This land was purchased on August 28, 1860 for $1200. ($7.50 per acre.) He later made several other land purchases in Grant Township over the years, eventually owning over 500 acres of good farmland about two miles north of Boxholm where he later became the town's mayor.
Besides being a successful farmer of Grant Township, Nils was also a member of the ogen community from about 1880 to about 1886. There he was at first engaged in farming but later became manager of the Scandinavian Cooperative Company of Ogden. Still later he was engaged in the mercantile business, being in partnership with a Mr. J. H. Eversoll in the operation of a general merchandise store in Ogden. This partnership was dissolved in September of 1885 and Nils returned to his homestead near Boxholm about 1886. He was a resident of Dayton for a short time, but spent most of his active life farming in Grant Township.
He spent the rest of his life in Boxholm and is buried in Prairie Lawn Cemetery. He married twice. He married first wife, Louisa Chalotte Anderson from Horn, Sweden, on 20 June, 1848. She died on 30 Nov. 1894. They had eleven children, seven of whom died in their youth. Four grew to adulthood but two never married. All are buried in Prairie Lawn Cemetery, Dayton, IA.
About five years after the death of his first wife, he remarried. His second wife was Clara Beckstrom whom he married on 24 Sept. 1899. She was born in Chicago, Illinois on Jan. 19, 1860 the daughter of Gustaf and Louisa Beckstrom. By 1908, Nils and Clara retired from active farm life and moved into their brand new house he had built just north of the Methodist Church, of which he was a member.
Nils was always held in high esteem by his fellow citizens and served as justice of the peace for Grant Township in 1879, and also in 1905-06 and again in 1913-14. When the town of Borxholm was incorporated, he was elected as the first mayor, serving from 1913 to 1917.
He died on March 12, 1926 in Boxholm, aged 81 years and is buried next to his first wife and their infant children.
The second Mrs. Wilson, (Clara Beckstrom) died on Sept 14, 1927, aged 67 years and is buried in Prairie Lawn Cemetery at Boxholm beside her mother, Louisa Beckstrom (1833- 1912).
The only descendant still residing within Grant Township is a granddaughter, Mrs. John (Delores) Shepard, Jr.
Nils-Gustaf was also an uncle of Louis and N. P. Wlson, also early Grant Township settlers.
History taken from "History of Boxholm and Grant Township, 1986" by David C. Peterson.
|
| Person ID |
I54360 |
Freeman-Smith |
| Last Modified |
10 Apr 2024 |
| Father |
Andersson Olof, b. 10 Mar 1789, Traaby, Segerstad, Kalmar County, Sweden d. Gagnef, Moje, Sweden |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Mother |
Nilsdotter, M.Brita, b. 11 Dec 1798, Sweden |
| Relationship |
natural |
| Marriage |
Abt 1821 [1] |
| Family ID |
F24579 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 1 |
Anderson Louisa Charlotte, b. 20 Jun 1848, Horn, Nykoping Kommun, Sodermanlands Lan, Sweden d. 30 Nov 1894, Boxholm, Boone County, IA (Age 46 years) |
| Marriage |
22 Apr 1871 |
Chicago, Cook County, IL [1, 8] |
| Children |
| | 1. Olofsson (Wilson) Oscar d. 18 Jan 1892, Boxholm, Boone County, IA [natural] |
| | 2. Olofsson (Wilson) bur. Dayton, IA Cemetery [natural] |
| | 3. Olofsson (Wilson) Selma C. bur. Dayton, IA Cemetery [natural] |
| | 4. Olofsson (Wilson) [natural] |
| | 5. Olofsson (Wilson) Amelia Charlotte, b. 1874, Boxholm, Boone County, IA d. 1965, St. Paul, MN (Age 91 years) [natural] |
| | 6. Olofsson (Wilson) Hattie, b. 10 Feb 1875, Boxholm, Boone County, IA d. 11 Sep 1875, Boxholm, Boone County, IA (Age 0 years) [natural] |
| | 7. Olofsson (Wilson) Bertha S., b. 30 May 1876, Boxholm, Boone County, IA d. 11 Oct 1876, Boxholm, Boone County, IA (Age 0 years) [natural] |
| | 8. Olofsson (Wilson) Shelby Walford, b. 1880, Boxholm, Boone County, IA d. 1950, IA (Age 70 years) [natural] |
| | 9. Olofsson (Wilson) Esther Theresa, b. 1882, Boxholm, Boone County, IA d. 1935 (Age 53 years) [natural] |
| | 10. Olofsson (Wilson) Edward, b. 23 May 1884 d. 10 Jun 1884, Boxholm, Boone County, IA (Age 0 years) [natural] |
| | 11. Olofsson (Wilson) Hattie Lorena, b. 1886, Boxholm, Boone County, IA d. 1967, Boxholm, Boone County, IA (Age 81 years) [natural] |
|
| Family ID |
F24595 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
10 Apr 2024 |
| Family 2 |
Beckstrom Clara M., b. 19 Jan 1860, Chicago, Cook County, IL d. 14 Sep 1927, Boxholm Boone County, IA (Age 67 years) |
| Marriage |
24 Sep 1899 [1] |
| Family ID |
F24591 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
10 Apr 2024 |
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| Sources |
- [S1665] Merged from BrianFreeman on 06-Jan-13 at 19:04.
- [S1673] 1885 Federal Census for Yell, Boone County, IA.
N. G. Wilson, Fourth of IA, ownership, male, married, Merchant of dry goods, 39 yrs. old, born in Sweden, was subject to miliarty, could not vote. Both parents foreign born.
Louisa Brown, female, married, age 36, b. Sweden, both parents foreign born.
Emelia Brown, female, single, age 11 b. Boone county, IA, both parents foreign born.
Shelby Brown, male, single, age 4, b. Boone County, IA, both parents foreigh born.
Esther Brown, famale, age 2, b. Boone County, IA, both parents foreign born.
Hannah Ericson, female, single, age 22, b. Sweden, both parents foreign born.
Marcus Barrett, male, age 55, b. IL, male for military but could not vote.
- [S1672] 1910 Federal Census for Grant, Boone County, Dist. 16, IA.
Nels G. Wilson, Head of household, age 65,b. Sweden, married and married twice, married 10 years, Immigrated 1860, Naturalized, can read, write and speak English. Owns farm and is a farm laborer.
Clara M. Wilson, wife, white female, married for 10 years, first marriage, age 50, b. IL, can read, write and speak English. No occupation.
Louisa W. Beckstrom, mother-in-law, age 76, b. Sweden, can speak English. No occupation.
- [S1678] Personal visit by Sonja Mortensen Abate, G-Granddaughter, 1997.
- [S1671] 1900 Federal Census for Grant, Boone County, Dist. 18, IA.
Nils G. Wilson, Head of household, white male, age 55, b. Feb. 1845, married less than an year, Immigrated in 1860, and had lived in US for 40 years. Farmer, b. Sweden as were both parents, was a farmer and owned his own farm which was free of mortgage. He was Naturlized as a citizen of the US. Can read, write and speak English.
Clara C. Wilson, wife, white female, married less than a year, age 40, born Jan 1960 in IL, both parents born in Sweden. Can read, write and speaks English.
Shelby W. Wilson, son, white male, single, age 19, b. Aug 1880, in IA, both parents b. Sweden, can read, write and speak English.
Estther F. Wilson, daughter, white female, single, age 18 b. Apr 1882, b. IA, both parents b. Sweden, can read and write, speaks English and attended school for last 6 mos.
Hattie L. Wilson, daughter, white female, single, age 14, b. Feb. 1886, IA, can read, write and speaks English and attended school for last 6 mos. Both parents b. Sweden.
- [S1677] Vital Records of Skarlof, Island of Oland, Sweden.
- [S1670] 1920 Federal Census for Grant, Boxholm Twp, Boone County, IA.
Gustav Wilson, Head of household, owns farm, white male, married, age 74, Immigrated 1860, was naruralized in 1867, can read and write, b. Sweden as were both parents. No mortgage on his farm.
Clara Wilson, wife, age 57, white female, b. IL, can read and write and speaks English. Both parents b. Sweden.
Shelby Wilson, son, age 39, b. IA, single, can read and write, speaks English. Day laborer.
Esther Wilson, daughter, age 37, b. IA, single, can read and write and speaks English. Not employed.
Christine Benson, sister, age 84, b. Sweden, not known when she immigrated, was Natuarlized. Spoke Swedish, could read and write. She was still married?
- [S1681] Vital Records for DeKalb County, IL, Vol. E, p.219.
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