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Nels Rosenquist was born at Rinkaby, Kristianstad Lan, Skane, Sweden to Per Nilsson and Karna (Hakansdotter) Quist on August 20, 1835 and baptized as Nils. He, like his six brothers, had the "middle" and "last" name of Pehrsson Quist. The middle name was never spelled out; only the initial "P" was used.
After confirmation, the boys started to learn their trades. Nels, the oldest, learned the mason and stone cutter's trade. And after years of apprenticeship, he became a journeyman. It was at that time that he changed his name to Nels Rosen-Quist.
After working for a year for the government on fortifications on the Island of Got land, Nels decided to emigrate to America to better his condition. He also wanted to escape the then dreaded military training to which every male reaching 21 years was subjected. This training was for two and sometimes three years in a military camp, and lasted from thirty to sixty days in the summer. It was to escape this military training, more than anything else, that Nels sailed for America at the age of 21.
After brother Andrew was confirmed, he started to learn the tailor's trade. But he soon decided that it did not suit him. So he asked for permission to accompany Nels to America. Being only 16, his mother was reluctant in giving her permission. It was granted only after her brother, Jons, in Cordova, Rock Island County, Illinois, had promised to take care of him.
In May 1857, Nels and Andrew left home from Gothenburg. There they secured passage to America in a small sailing vessel. On landing in America, the two brothers went to Uncle Jons at Cordova. This part of the country was just passing through a financial panic, resulting from land speculation and "wild-cat" banking. The money issued by the private bank was good one day but worthless the next. In fact, money went out of existence, and interest on money went as high as 3% per month. Nels, who had a good trade, could only earn from 75 cents to one dollar per day, but that was better than ordinary wages. In the meantime, Nels became acquainted with Ingrid Nelson, a young girl also from Skane. They were married in 1859 and moved to Chisago Lake, Minnesota. They later moved to Prairie Lake Township in Nicollet County, Minnesota, where Nels took a homestead of 160 acres. Facing the horrors of the Indian Massacre of 1862, they fled to St. Peter. This saved them from the horrible fate that over-took some of their neighbors living a few miles further west. Some were killed and their homes burned. They later moved to neighboring New Sweden Township, Nicollet County.
In Ingrid's obituary, it is inaccurately stated that Nels "took a prominent part in the defense of early settlers at the time of the early Indian outbreaks. He was one of the defenders of New Ulm [a German settlement] at the time of the massacre, but was one of the few who escaped." Nels is listed as "8th Corporal" on the roster of "The Scandinavian Guards," which was organized in Nicollet County on August 27, 1862 to serve in that county for twenty-one days.
Nels and Ingrid also went through the hardships of the early settlers, who lost crops to grasshoppers for four years in succession. Nels, however, lived long enough to see the fruit of his labors. He owned a well improved farm of 320 acres. He served as a deacon in the Scandian Grove Lutheran Church for many years. When he died on April 9, 1904 at the age of 69, there were five sons and three daughters to survive him, three daughters having preceded him in death. All of surviving children dropped "Rosen" from their last name. Ingrid died on January 4, 1917 at the age of 83.
Submitted by John Quist and last updated December 2, 2007.
