SURNAMES:
MORRISON, WHITE
A strong determination to succeed has been the paramount characteristic
in the career of Neils Adler Neilsen, and he is steadily attaining his
desire. He was born in Mandal, the southernmost city of Norway,
November 3, 1872, the son of Neil Johanson and Tommie Neilsen, the
father a ship carpenter by occupation. The father was only
fifty-eigth years old when he died, but the mother lived to be
ninety-six years old, passing away in her old home in 1917. Neils
Adler is the youngest of a family of nine children.
Adolph Neilsen, as he is familiarly called by his friends, came to San
Jose when he was fourteen years old, accompanied by his brother, Obert,
who resides in Oakland a the present time. He first worked for
wages, washing dishes in the Scandinavian Exchange; then was for two
years at the Almaden mines; he then took up ranch work, working for
John Dunn, and letter he drove teams for George King; next he was
employed in the Guadalupe lime kiln; then worked for Joseph Cottle;
after which he took up well drilling with Blabon and Barnett.
These jobs of short duration brought him to 1892, when he entered
the employ of Judge S. F. Leib on his ranch
west of Cupertino,
consisting of 160 acres, 120 acres in walnuts and forty acres of
apricots. He has proven himself a capable and conscientious
foreman of the Leib ranch, a position he has held since 1893. In
1919 he purchased a sixteen-acre apricot orchard adjoining Judge Leib's
ranch on the east, and in addition to taking care of the Leib orchard,
he runs his own ranch profitable and well.
The marriage of Mr. Neilsen occurred in San Jose March 28, 1897,
uniting him with Miss Millie Morrison, born in La Honda, Cal. Two
children were born to them, Cecil and Edla. Mr. Nielsen's second
marriage was on April 10, 1902, at Reno, Nev., and united him with Miss
May White, a daughter of David and Minnie White, a native of San
Mateo
County whose parents came to California in an early day. In
politics Mr. Neilsen supports the Socialist party; fraternally is a
member of the Odd Fellows lodge No. 52 of Santa Clara, and is a past
grand of that lodge; he is also a member of the Cupertino Woodmen of
the World.
Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1414
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