Joseph Andrew NIELSEN

                   Joseph was born In February and his family left for American in May. His mother Dorothea had joined the Church and named him Joseph after the prophet. They sailed to Liverpool and from there to New York in 1861. They were at sea 34 days. The Mormon company traveled by cattle cars westward to the Mississippi. Anders bought a yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows. Dorothea pregnant trudged behind the wagon with the other children Waldemar and Laura. Mathilda who was ill nestled in the wagon with her little brother. At one point the captain of the company looked in the wagon and said, "This child is dead." Anders responded without looking, "No I have been promised that I should bring my family to Zion and I am sure they will be spared.

Joseph's mother died from childbirth when he was only eight. He left home when he was thirteen and little is known of the intervening years. He did travel with a medical show where he played his violin to gather a crowd. He must have played at Soda Springs where he met his wife, Mary Elizabeth Butler. Sometime between 1892 and 1896 he loaded his wagon and moved to Swan Ally. Here he built a three room log house and a log granary. In the next ten years six more children were born to the family. Early in 1907 Joseph spent three weeks in Canada and bought a section of land on the Little Bow River east of Carmangay. Four more children were born on the ranch. He prospered and moved to Calgary in 1917 where he purchased a large house and the Diamond Springs Ranch just a few miles west of the city limits. Alway a lover of horses he raised many that he showed in Calgary - descendants of  imported French percherons and other Belgian horses.

The family's life changed drastically when Mary Elizabeth died August of 1926 at the early age of fifty -eight. In January 1927 the family was moved back to Carmangay. After his wife died Joseph nearly died himself. He was taken to the Calgary General Hospital and then to the Keith Sanitarium. As he regained his health he lived in Calgary for a year or two but was very lonesome. He moved back to Carmangay to be with his family. The last year of his life was spent mostly in the Carmangay hospital. When he knew the end was near he asked to be taken home where he died in February of 1940. He lived fourteen years beyond his soul mate.

Griffin/Nielson Family Records

(Research):      Joseph's parents joined the Church and desired to join with their fellow Saints and go do Zion. Joseph, the sixth child, was born in February of 1860 and the family left for America May 1861. They sailed to Liverpool, England and after a short stay took the ship Monarch of the Seas and after a 34 day voyage landed in New York . The Mormon Company under the leadership of Samuel. S. Woolley traveled westward in cattle cars to the Mississippi and them up the river to Winter Quarters. Here Andrew bought a yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows. Joseph and Mathilda who was ill rode in the wagon while the other children and Dorothea pregnant walked.. At one time the captain of the company looked in the wagon and said "That child is dead." Anders responded without looking in the wagon, "No, I have been promised that I should bring my family to Zion and I am sure they will be spared."

       After a 95 day trip from New York the family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. They were sent to Milton by Brigham Young and lived in a covered wagon the first winter in Morgan County. In December 1861 Hyrum was born. When the childre whick were strung over a crude bridge. The strings and bow were made of horsehair. His sister  said that he could actually produce a tune.

       At about twelve or thirteen Joseph ran away from home and was not seen for two years. Little is known of his life until he was married. He seems to have had a happy-go-lucky life. He played the violin for a medicine show. He would attract crowds by playing his violin. In the show he was the strong man and balanced a wagon whell on his chin. He loved horses and racing and hunting and dating girls. He must have played his violin in Soda Springs where he met Mary Elizabeth Butler. In 1893 the family lived in a tent near Taylorsville, then took his family to Swan Valley. At 17 Dorothea had her second child, Bessie. Here in the valley at Palisade or Irwin he built a three room log home and a granary. Over a period of ten years six more children were born to the family.

       Very early in the spring of 1907 he went to Canada where he bought a section and a half of land from Mrs. Morrin. After spending three weeks in Canada he went home and told his family to start packing they were moving to Canada. His belongings were loaded in two wagons and moved to Idaho fall. He loaded three box cars with his stcck and possessions. Included were four purebred Belgian stallions and four purebred mares. They were caught by a snow storm in Clareshom and had to rent a house there before they could move to the farm. In short he prospered. He bought a large home and the Diamond Springs Ranch in Calgary  which lay just a few miles to the West.  He continued to show his horses and win ribbons. On the 24th of May his family was out planting potatoes. These were fun times but hard times too. The family remembers the large Christmas tree and the many presents every year. His wife worked very hard to take care of her large family.

       Life changed drastically when Mary Elizabeth died suddenly. She had arisen at three in the morning to do a big washing which she hoped to finish at 8:00 o'clock. Her daughter Veta went down to help her and found her mother using only one arm. Before long she was unable to use either arm. Veta put her to bed where she soon became unconscious and she never became conscious. Veta ran three houses away to summon a doctor. It was August 1926. Joseph was in Shelby, Montana when the telegram arrived. When  he arrived home he was scarcely able to walk and had to be assisted into his home.  He lay on the couch sobbing and unable to talk. He nearly died and was taken to Calgary General Hospital and after a time to the Keith sanatorium in  Bowness. The family moved from  the large home to a smaller near the fair grounds and even later went back to the Old Ranch. He was lonely in Calgary and moved back with them. For fourteen years after his wife's death he had ill health, He had difficulty breathing, but manages to supervise his family in farming the old place. Eventually he was taken to the Carmangay Hospital. When he knew the end was near he asked to be taken home where he died January 10th, 1940.

       See Joseph Andrew Nielson Story