Martin Nielsen is the son of Niels Larsen and Johanne Nielsdatter. He was raised by his maternal grandparents Niels Olsen and Maren Larsdatter.

He is shown as Mads Nielsen on his birth record and on his and Juliane Sophie Hansen's marriage record. They were married on May 25, 1861 in Kværkeby, Soro, Denmark. He may have changed his name Mads to Martin about the time they immigrated to the USA arriving in New York in September 1862.

They lived in Michigan and Illinois before settling in Iowa in about 1869.

In the late 1800's his name Nielsen was Anglicized to Nelson. His farm was located in Audubon and Cass Counties and his house was in Audubon County, a short distance north of the Cass County line.

ATLANTIC NEWS TELEGRAPH
Monday, July 13, 1925

PIONEER CASS MAN DIES AT HIS HOME SATURDAY EVENING
Martin Nelson, 85, Passes Away at Farm on Which He Resided for 54 Years.

Martin Nelson, well known pioneer Cass resident, passed away at his home north of this city at 8:40 Saturday evening, death resulting from heart trouble. Mr. Nelson was about eighty-five years of age at the time of his death and had resided at his home ten miles north of this city for fifty-four years, coming here when the country was unsettled prairie.

Mr. Nelson was born in Denmark, Sept. 18, 1840 and was married in 1861. In 1862, Mr. Nelson and his wife moved to this country and soon afterward came to Iowa, making their home north of this city. The late, deceased resident is survived by his wife, who is also eighty-five years of age, and nine children. The children are Mrs. Anna Tole, Omaha; J. H. Nelson, Portland, Ore.; Mrs. Peter Knudsen, Atlantic; Mrs. E. Baltzer, Omaha; William Nelson, Atlantic; C. A. Nelson, Atlantic; Mrs. A. E. Larson, Macksburg, Ia.; Ed Nelson, Atlantic; and Walter Nelson, Atlantic. Mr. Nelson has thirty great grandchildren and forty-four grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at the Nelson Farm at 1:30 tomorrow [Tuesday] and services at the Oak Hill Church will be held at 2:30, Rev. Myers officiating. Rev. Jensen will have charge of the services at the house. Interment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery.