WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
PETER N. NIELSEN, SR.
(tailor, merchant, farmer)
BIOGRAPHY
Peder N. Nielsen was born in Kellerup Easter, Snede County Weile Amdt, Jetland, Denmark on February 22, 1813.Peder changed his name to Peter upon his arrival in America. At some unknown later time, the Nielsen family further anglicized their surname to Neilson.
In the October 1862 Conference, he was called to go to Dixie in southern Utah to help colonize and grow cotton. He immediately sold his farm, house and everything else he could to get ready to leave.
Peter Neilson is very well known for is his gift of gold to pay the freight bill for the window glass to be installed in the Tabernacle in St. George. He took $600.00 in gold coins to David H. Cannon, the St. George Stake President, to pay the freight bill for the St. George Tabernacle window glass. Only $200.00 had been collected from the people in the StGeorge area toward the total bill of $800.00. The bill had to be paid before the glass could be freighted from California to St. George and installed in the Tabernacle. Mr. Neilson walked all the way from Washington to St. George early one morning carrying the gold in an old blue bandana. He was not asked for the money; he just knew through his experiences during the night that he was to take the money to the stake president. He had saved the money so that he could add rooms to his meager home. His generosity made it possible for the window glass to be purchased and installed.
Peter died in Washington on April 9, 1883 and was buried on April 12 in the Washington City Cemetery.
FAMILY
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Peter's Parents and Siblings:
Niels Jensen Hedevig Dorthea Christensen Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx |
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married xx/xx/xxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) |
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First Wife and Children: Anna Catherine Gydison Nielsen Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx |
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married xx/xx/xxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) |
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Second Wife and Children: Anne Marie Israelson Nielsen Israel Neilson |
(xx/xx/1808-xx/xx/1852) (married 11/26/1847) (xx/xx/1848-xx/xx/1945) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) |
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Third Wife and Children: Anna Nielsen Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx |
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married xx/xx/xxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) |
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Fourth Wife and Children: Karen Neils Sorensen Nielsen Peter Neilson Jr. Anna Maria Neilson |
(2/23/1821-7/29/1901) (married 1/14/1855) (12/1/1856-2/24/1942) (married Anna Durdell Taylor) (10/8/1858-10/8/1858) |
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Fifth Wife and Children: Harriet Amanda Brown Tyler Nielsen Karen Cornetta Nielsen Peter Bliss Nielson |
(xx/xx/1835-xx/xx/1906) (married 5/23/1873) (xx/xx/1874-xx/xx/1940) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/1876-xx/xx/1880) |
PHOTOS
TBDREFERENCES
Autobiography of Peter NeilsenThe Abbreviated Life Histories of Peter Nielsen, Sr. (1813-1883)
and Karren Caroline Neils Sorenson (1821-1901)
Washington City "Monument Plaza"
Published by the Washington City Historical Society with stories by Harold P. Cahoon
Pages 10-13
Dixie State University, The Peter Neilson Legacy
By Reid Larkin Neilson
Utah's 'Dixie' Birthplace
Compiled by Harold P. and Priscilla J. Cahoon
Page 44
FamilySearch entry for Peder Neilson Sr.
Church History Missionary Database entry for Peter Nielsen
Find-A-Grave entry for Peter N. Nielsen, Sr
Find-A-Grave entry for Harriet Amanda Brown Tyler