Background
Nielson was born on the island of Laaland, Denmark.
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Jens Nielson
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Nielson became industrious and fairly successful in the coastal city of Aarhus, where he also owned land and livestock. lieutenant appears that Nielson had resources enough to have obtained supplies and traveled west early enough to beat the winter, but instead he joined the handcart company led by captain On the trip, Nielson"s five-year old son, Jens, and the Mortensen girl succumbed to snow, cold, starvation and exhaustion, and were buried in shallow graves under the snow. Nielson"s feet became so frozen it caused his right foot to be at right angles and limped from it the rest of his life.
One of the theories regarding Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay robbing the Pleasant Valley Coal Company in nearby Castle Gate, is that they stayed in Huntington Creek (Utah) at the ranch of Jens Nielson, where they had been employed under the names Tom Gillis and Bert Fowler, respectively.
Nielson was an influential church and community leader in southern Utah. He was known for his kind leadership, heavy accent and a "sticketytoit" attitude.
Nielson was also known to have served as an American Indian translator in San Juan County, Utah. Nielson died 1906 while still serving as bishop.
He is buried on Cemetery Hill, above town.
One of Nielson"s houses, in Bluff, still remains and was listed in 1982 on the National Register of Historic Places in San Juan County.
