The Monte Vista journal., 1916-01-15
ANOTHER PIONEER
WOMAN CROSSES
THE LAST RANGE

Narmland, sweden, in lS43, was
married to John Nelson in 1873
at Norland, Sweden. to which
union five children were born,
three in the fatherland and two
in Colorado, one child dying in
infancy; died Thursday, Jan. 13,
1916, from an acute attack of
pneumonia. The funeral services
will be held from the Presbyter-
ian church, of which she was a
member, Sunday afternoon, and
interment in Monte Vista ceme-
terry, in the family lot.
One by one, year after year, those
who came to this country in their
youth, and when the West was new
to the Eastern world, are fast join
ing that throng who have passed be-
yond that last range which we must
all cross when our work here is COM
pleted. The bravery of the pioneers,
with some of the hardships imposed
upon them, is briefly shown in the
experience of Mrs. Nelson by the
facts in the following story:
Early in July Of 1881, party Of
eight emigrants from Norland, Swe-
den, came to this country, and trav-
eled by rail from New York city to
Alamosa, which was then the termi-
nus of the d. & R. G. There being
no one to meet them, they set
out to walk the twenty-five miles to
a ranch near Monte Vista. Those
in the party We're Mr.. and Mrs. J..
Nelson, and two children, John and
Mary Elizabeth. Mr.. and Mrs. M.
Falk, Mrs. Nelson, Sr., who was the
mother of ]. Nelson. and a young
girl of 16, whose name now is Mrs.
Sanford Anderson. They thought
they had reached the end Of the
world, and the younger people soon
grew weary of the walk, but went to
sleep when night came, to awaken
next morning refreshed, but the
older ones were tired from the worry
of the journey, and the fear that
after all perhaps they had not
reached the land they had set out
for, from the fact that no one met
them at the station. They lost their
way, among other mishaps, but final
ly reached their destination, the old
Louis Person ranch, just west of
Monte Vista, and from there they
made their different selections Of
homesteads and places of abode.
That winter Grandma Nelson passed
away, and hers was the first funeral
among the little band of settlers
along the Rio Grande. There was
no church, there were no preachers
in this country, and the only place
for burying the dead was the old
Rock Creek cemetery. Chas. Ydren
officiated at that funeral and the
hearse was farm wagon. Since
then Mr.. and Mrs. Falk and his
daughter Mary Elizabeth (RydelD
have all preceded Mrs. Katherine
Nelson The death of the daughter
was a blow from which Mrs. Nelson
seemed never to be quite herself
again. although she enjoyed a fairly
active life until about six months
ago, when her health began to fail,
and the last six weeks have been al
most ceaseless suffering.
While Mrs. Nelson lived quiet,
retired life, there are those who will
miss her as a mother, and those who
knew her in their early life when
everyone had hardships to bear to-
gether, will miss her helpful and en-
obling presence and will remember
her bravery and courage in helping
others to bear the burdens of life,
for she was always found where
there were kind deeds to be done
and cheerful encouraging words to
be said. There are surviving her
three sons, John and Gust OF Monte
Vista, and Malcolm of Denver, and
four grandchildren, Hilda and Har-
old Rydell, and Phillip Nelson of
Monte Vista, and Conrad Nelson of
Denver. To these the sympathy of
the community is extended.