Olaf

Brothers Olaf, Dave, Sam & Gust

I remember my great uncle Olaf Nelson as a quiet, contemplative man, suffering from near blindness due to severe diabetes, but doggedly pursuing knowledge. When he visited his brother and sister in Lowry in the 1950's, often I was in charge of loading the Hi-Fi with Society for the Blind records for him - news summaries, magazine & book recordings.

I wish I had known him in his younger years. By all accounts, Olaf was a remarkable man. He lived for most of his life in New London, Minnesota, working as station-master for the Great Northern Railroad. But this is a small part of Olaf's contributions to his community and the nation.

Family lore tell of the family's immigration from Sweden with a rambunctious set of brothers aboard the Cunard Bothnia in 1886, who climbed the rigging despite the calls of the crew to cease and desist. They of course could not understand the english crewmen. The boys heard the calls "bum bowlo" (actually "down below") and would warn each other with "Här kommer den bumbowlo" to avoid being caught in mischief.  [See post Fageras to Brandon 1886]

Olaf in Montana

As a young man, he left his Brandon, Minnesota home and traveled to northern Montana about 1910, where he worked on a crew constructing the infrastructure for Glacier National Park. From this experience he developed a passion for preserving and protecting the environment, becoming one of the founders of the New London chapter of the Izaak Walton League. Through this organization, Olaf was instrumental in the establishment of Sibley State Park on Green Lake near Spicer, MN.

In 1917, at the age of 38, he enlisted in the American Expeditionary Force and served in France. It seems strange to be accepted into the army at such an age, but his experience with the railroad made him a valued telegrapher.





He was a Boy Scout troop leader and in general devoted his life to the service of others. In the mid-50's, Olaf was honored by New London as Citizen of the Year.  Years later, his younger brother Dave received the same honor from the city of Lowry, Minnesota. In his remarks, he noted Olaf's earlier honor with the words ".. but he was a lot smarter than me."

Olaf married in 1929 at the age of 50. His wife Mathilde developed severe rheumatoid arthritis not long after their marriage and Olaf became a dedicated care-giver until her death in 1954.

This letter from Olaf to father Carl speaks to his character. It is one any father would cherish. Carl Nelson died in December of 1938.

Copyright © 2017 Dave Hoplin