Iowa County Cemetery Stones and History 1844-1975 (manuscript) by Pauline Lillie

                              NELSON    OR NEILSON                    p.1
                              Cemetery - History
                                                By Pauline Lillie


Location
Hilton 80 Township Range 10, Section 3.; Hy, 6 about 1 m, south of 
Hy. 149; in field- To reach the cemetery is difficult, either park 
on busy Hy. 149 Climb a steep bank and over fens; or go some dist-
ance north into farmstead of F.W. Martinson, then around up in along 
the timberline, and back again west within sight of Hy. 149; One tall 
stone is visable from the road looking east along Hy. 149.

History
According to 1881 Iowa Co. History p. 751; -Oldest in Hilton twp. 
contained about 40 interments; 1874 Atlas shows on the R. Nelson 
farm; 1915 Atlas p, 15 on Susan Nelson farm; center almost on line 
off in field; The 1915 History p, 215- First cemetery in Hilton town-
ship on timberline was founded by Richard Nelson, Nels Nelson, Levi 
Nelson, Christ Engelbert and others about 1860.

No doubt some graves were moved to other cemeteries, or the one south 
on the corner of Hy, 149; For the 1881 History refers to the Norweigan 
burying ground on the north side of the road opposite the church has 
about a dozen graves recently laid out- This new Norweigan cemetery 
is well maintained to-day and very nice church well attended (1976)

According to the biographies of families sketched in the 1881 hist-
ory in Hilton-Iowa- and Marengo townships, appears a number of child- 
ren deaths, and probably here they may be buried early in 1850-1860 
and 1870, before the Norweigan Lutheran cemetery in Section 10, about 
2 mile south was started. Stones copied seem to be of a later date 
and probably withstood the years of neglect. For a sketch of Corn-
elius Nelson on page 750- 1831 History: Mentions that he was the first 
burial in the old "Nelson" cemetery died in 1856- does not have a 
stone to copy.

Condition
When I copied this Nelson Cemetery September 10, 1959 it was over-
grown with blackberries, around stones, as well as some time previous 
having been burnt off. Much undergrowth. One small group had a nice 
iron fence. In 1974 Mr. L. A. Winborn of Williamsburg and firends, re-
moved brush, attempted to restore the site, and recopied and checked 
stones, trying to locate others.

Remarks
That the cemetery stones so few be removed to the Norweigan Lutheran 
Cemetery south, for I understand that they still own the land on
which the old Nelson Cemetery is located. REMEMBER this is private land 
and will be Trespassing.


Researched by Pauline Lillie - Ladora


                              -150-


[supplement to page 150 -sdw]

old Nelson Cemetery was moved: Information from Mrs. Milford Halverson 
Hilton township Sec. 15-

In the fall of 1980 November, the remains of those buried in the Old 
Nelson Cemetery on the Martin farm were moved to the cemetery of the 
First Lutheran Church of Conroy in Hilton Township which is across the 
road from the church.

They occupied the area on a vacant spot in the southwest side of the 
cemetery;

Those who helped move were

Milford Halverson 
Keith Stanerson 
Russell Sandersfeld 
Don Eggerling Don 
Fred Faltinson

Names of those moved; 
Reier
Nielson
Susan Nelson
Levin Nelson
Caroline Hanson wife of A. Hansen 
Rayer   Marian Ethel 
Cornelius Nelson
Mary  Alexson