Joseph Nelson    

JOSEPH NELSON, deceased, came to Mercer County in 1797 and settled in Sandy Creek Township. He had married Jane Armstrong before coming here, who bore him ten children: Isabel, Jane, Samuel, Betsy, James, Joseph, Alexander, Margaret, John and Irvine, the two last mentioned being the only survivors. The parents both died in Mercer County. Alexander was born in Sandy Creek Township August 12, 1801, and spent his whole life in Mercer County. He was married, March 12, 1829, to Sarah, daughter of Andrew and Mary Brown, pioneers of West Salem Township, where Mrs. Nelson was born March 26, 1812. They reared six children: Mary Ann, widow of William Brown; Joseph B., Sarah J., wife of Dr. L. N. Woods, of Oregon; Margaret (deceased), James W., and Clara, wife of Monroe Saul, of Greenville. After his marriage Alexander settled on a part of his father's s homestead, near Sheakleyville, where he resided till the spring of 1835, when he purchased the old homestead in West Salem Township, where he spent the balance of his life. He was a member of the Baptist Church for fifty-three years, and politically he was a Republican. He died September 11, 1886, being then one of the oldest settlers in the county. He was an honest, upright man, and bore a high character among all who knew him. He was a good neighbor and a kind husband and father. His widow resides on the old homestead with her son, James W., and enjoys good health. She has been a member of the Baptist Church for nearly half a century. James W. was born on the old homestead August 11, 1849, and has always resided here. He married, December 20, 1877, Amanda Etzweiler, of Harrisburg, Penn., and have three children: Freddie E., Maggie B. and Frank A. Politically Mr. Nelson is a Republican.

History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present : including its aboriginal history, its early settlement and development, a description of its historic and interesting localities, sketches of its boroughs, townships and villages, neighborhood and family histories, portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, statistics, etc. : also, a condensed history of Pennsylvania. Chicago, Ill.: Brown, Runk & Co., 1888, page 1044.  Read this book on line - Free Trial  Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.