Ole Nielsen Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1347-1348 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	OLE NIELSEN, one of the leading and representative citizens of 
Yankton county, was born in Denmark on Christmas eve, December 24, 1853, 
and is a son of Niels and Juliana (Hanneke) Oleson, also natives of that 
country. The first twenty years of his life the subject spent in his 
native land and in 1873 came to the United States. After spending one 
month in Minnesota, he came to Yankton county, South Dakota, and with 
the interests of this state he has been actively identified ever since. 
In 1875 his parents and the remainder of the family removed from Denmark 
to South Dakota and the father now lives retired in Yankton at the age 
of seventy-six years, while his wife has reached the age of seventy-
three years. Both hold membership in the Lutheran church, and the father 
votes with the Republican party. Their children are Ole, of this review; 
John; Dora, now the wife of Jake Nissen, of Yankton; Estine; Selia; 
Fred; Christian; Andrew, deceased; and Helen. All were given good school 
privileges and Helen, who is still at home, has become quite proficient 
in music. She is the only one of the children born in the United States. 

	In 1874 Mr. Nielsen, whose name introduces this sketch, took up 
one hundred and sixty acres of government land in Yankton county and 
constructed a dugout, which was his first home here. Two years later he 
offered his right to this property for a yoke of steers, but was refused 
and in 1902 it sold for over six thousand dollars, having devoted six or 
seven years to its cultivation and improvement. He then removed to 
Yankton, where he ran a dray line for seven years, and in 1889 bought 
his present farm near Mission Hill, which is an improved place of one 
hundred and sixty acres. He has since remodeled the residence, barns and 
sheds and made other improvements which add greatly to the value and 
attractive appearance of the place. He carries on general farming and is 
also engaged in the buying, feeding and sale of stock, having sixty head 
upon his place during the winter of 1902-3. He makes a specialty of 
Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses and upon his farm he raises corn, 
wheat, oats, timothy and alfalfa. 

	In June, 1880, Mr. Nielsen was united in marriage to Miss Hannah 
Andrasen, who is also a native of Denmark, where her parents lived and 
died. Unto the subject and his wife were born two children, but Julia 
died in infancy. Harry is now fourteen years of age and is attending 
school. Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen support the Lutheran church and he is a 
member of Mission Hill Camp, No. 7209, Modern Woodmen of America. He 
votes for the men whom he believes best qualified for office and takes a 
deep interest in school work.