My Genealogy Hound

PETER NYQUIST, an old settler and prominent farmer of Kearney county, is a native of Sweden and a splendid representative of that large class of industrious, enterprising citizens, the Swedish-Americans, by whom Kearney county is in a great measure settled. He comes from a long line of Swedish ancestors, being a cion of that sturdy, thrifty stock that has made the “snowy kingdom amid the icy seas” blossom with the best fruits of an advanced civilization. His father, Olaf Nyquist, was born in the year 1818, and is still living, being a resident of his native country, where he has been engaged all his life in the pursuit of agriculture. He is a good type of his race and calling, being an industrious, hard-working, economical man, diligent in the discharge of his duties as a citizen and greatly devoted to his family and church. He has affiliated with the Lutheran church almost all his life, and is not only a man of great devoutness, but possesses a very tender regard for all his fellow-men and is ever ready to render any assistance in his power to those in affliction or distress. Mr. Nyquist’s mother, whose maiden name was Mary Magnuron, was born in 1807 and died in 1875, having led a life of great industry and christian devotion, a zealous member all her years of the Lutheran church. These were married in 1836, the father, for lack of age, obtaining special permission for the purpose from the Crown. They had born to them a family of six children, all of whom reached maturity, and all but one of whom are now living, the full list in the order of their ages being— Carolina, Joannah, Helena, Peter, Gustave and John. The subject of this notice was born in the year 1844, was reared on his father’s farm and received an ordinary common-school education. He came to America in 1868 and stopped in Illinois, where he engaged as a farm laborer and railroad hand for seven years, working industriously and saving his earnings with a view of putting them to a good use later on. He returned to Sweden in 1875 and secured the promise of a neighbor girl, Miss Ann Soloman, to join her fortunes with his in the new world; and, bringing her with him, returned, and in the city of Chicago was married and came at once to Nebraska. He settled in Kearney county, taking a homestead in section 33, township 7, range 16 west. It is needless to state that the country at that time bore an appearance of newness to which Mr. Nyquist was decidedly unaccustomed, and that he encountered many obstacles of a discouraging nature in his first efforts to make a home in the West. When he settled in Kearney county it was ten miles to his nearest neighbor on the north and twelve miles to his nearest one on the south, and the whole country to the west was practically unsettled. He had $500 with which to begin, and with this and two willing hands and a stout heart, re-enforced by the efficient aid and sustained by the sympathy and counsel of a good wife, he set about to build out of the rude and inhospitable forces of nature a home and an asylum where he might spend his declining days in peace and plenty. He worked hard and managed well, and as the result of long years of patient toil and thoughtful attention, he now has what he so much desired, a good home surrounded by the necessaries and comforts of life. He owns two hundred and forty acres of good land, most of which he has under cultivation and otherwise well improved, his sod-house and barn having given way to larger and better buildings, and his place being ornamented with trees and shrubbery, and showing in every detail the industry and thrift that prevail on his premises.

His marriage has been blessed with six children, four girls and two boys — Mary, who departed life June 26, 1884; Caroline, Emma, John, Charles and Helen. Mr. and Mrs. Nyquist are both members of the Lutheran church, being zealous in the support of all church work and generous in their contributions towards the furtherance of the gospel cause.