OCR Text |
Show Family Reunion Honors Peter and Israel Neilson Honoring the two living brothers, Israel and Peter Neilson. more than 100 descendants and relatives rela-tives of Peter Neilson Sr., met in family reunion at Washington, Saturday, May 3. Relatives attended at-tended from Utah, Nevada and California. The evening's program was in charge of John T. Neilson, president presi-dent of the family organization and included community singing of "We Thank Thee, O' God, For A 'Prophet"; prayer, Mrs. Ella B. Neilson; singing, "Now Let Us Rejoice"; Re-joice"; report by the secretary, Mrs. ' Willard Sorenson of St. George; violin solo, "Trees", by McKay Neilson; sketches of the lives of Peter Neilson and his wife, Annie Taylor Neilson, given by a daughter, Mrs. D. C. Bulloch Bul-loch of Cedar City; piano solo, Thelma Neilson; life sketches, Israel Is-rael Neilson Sr., and his wife, Georgena S. Neilson by two grandchildren, Miss Ruth Sorenson Soren-son of St. George and Paul Neilson Neil-son of Washington; vocal solo, "Springtime In the Rockies", El-wood El-wood Manwaring; violin solo, "Indian "In-dian Love Call," McKay Neilson; duet, "I Am An American", by Fred and Ferd Neilson, twin brothers of Washington; piano solo, "The Spinning Song", Bonnie Bon-nie Tobler, Washington; vocal solo, "When My Dream Boat Comes Home", W. O. Nisson, Washington; election of officers for the ensuing year followed by skits, stunts, dancing and lunch. Officers of 1940 were re-elected. Lived In Ephraim First Israel Neilson, now 92, came from Denmark at the age of 4 with his father and a nurse, Georgena Sorenson, who married his father during the six months' sea voyage, his mother having died a year earlier in Denmark. They lived first in Ephraim, coming com-ing to Dixie in 1861 and settling in Washington where his father died. He followed farming and stock raising, and served as counselor coun-selor to John E. Pace in the first Mutual Improvement association of Washington. He married Georgena Sorenson in the- St. George Temple in 1864, she having come from Denmark with three small brothers in 1862. She came to Washington to work for Peter Neilson Sr., to repay the money loaned her for immigrating. Seven of their 11 children are living. Both have been active in church duties, Mrs. Neilson serving as president and counselor in Relief Society, and theology class leader for 16 years. Followed Freighting Peter Neilson Jr., was born in Ephraim, coming with his parents and brother Israel to Washington Washing-ton in 1861. As a young man he followed freighting, later turning his interests to farming. His wife, Annie Taylor, was a daughter of Levi Allen Taylor, also a Dixie pioneer. They have likewise been active in community and church life, and are parents of 14 children, child-ren, 13 of whom are still living. They also raised one grandson. Peter Neilson is 85 and his wife 83. Both are in good health. Each number on the program given during the afternoon was recorded by Glen Neilson of Los Angeles, who played the numbers over during the evening. During the serving of lunch the group joined in singing old and new songs conducted by Israel Neilson Jr. |