From Denmark to Boyd County, Nebraska
Nielsen Family History
The story of three Nielsen brothers, Karl, Erik and Mads, who were born in Denmark, and of the families connected to them.
Here you will find the family tree, the stories and photos that go with it, and the 1923 Schwenkfelder genealogy that traces another of the family's lines back to Pennsylvania.
The family
Every person in the family tree, about 41,600 people, with life events, parents and children, how each one is related, and family stories, photos and recordings.
For family members. You will be asked to sign in.
Schwenkfelder Families (1923)
The full 1923 genealogy of the Schwenkfelder families who came to Pennsylvania in 1734, with every family chapter and a name index.
Open to everyone.
Help
How to sign in, find a person, see how you are related, and send a correction or a story to add.
How the family came to Nebraska
Erik Nielsen first came to Dannebrog, Nebraska, where he went to Nystad School to learn English. A friend from Nystad was going to Boyd County to visit the Soren Christensen family, whom he had known in Denmark, and asked Erik to come along. That is how Erik came to Boyd County and met Carrie Christensen.
Erik and Carrie were married on July 27, 1911, and spent several months in Denmark on their honeymoon. They hoped to sail home on the Titanic in the spring of 1912, but it was booked full, so they came back in January instead. Erik's brother Mads came with them.
Their first child, Esther, was born on April 14, 1912, the day the Titanic struck the iceberg. Read more of their story, and many others, in the family pages.