Gust Nelson and his wife Edle were one of Norway Townships most generous and best loved of its earliest settlers. Mr. Nelson built the first home with a store in the northeast room. This house is still a dwelling and in good repair. It is in the north side of Highway 148 a short distance west of Norway's main street. This house was built a long time before Norway was platted. He gave the land for the original townsite of Norway, land for the Lutheran Church and land for the Lutheran parsonage. The first Lutheran parsonage is now a part of the Joseph Melhus home. Gust Nelson married Miss Edla Swenson. They both came to America from Sweden.
They reared a family of seven children; Minnie, Ida, Albert, Edwin S., Edna, Amit and Leona.
Albert was a printer and newspaper man. He managed the Daily Express in Beatrice, Nebraska for many years.
Edwin S. graduated from Kansas University and taught school for several years. In 1910 he was elected District Clerk of Republic County. In 1914 he represented Republic County in the Kansas Legislature. He then decided to study law and was admitted a member of the Bar.
Mr. and Mrs. Gust Nelson and family moved to Republic, Kansas for several years and later to the State of Washington. Both have passed on a number of years ago.
(Part of this history was taken from "Kansas and Kansans" by William E. Connelly, Secretary of Kansas State Historical Society Vol III 1918)
No comments:
Post a Comment