Father: Jacob Nelson
Mother: Marilla Smith

Spouse: James Hastings, Jr.
 m: 13/May/1866 - La Salle Co., IL

Child-1: Elmer E. - b: 13/Feb/1867 - Waterford Twp., Washington Co., OH
                           d: 23/Oct/1872 - bur: Lebanon Ch. Cem., Bristol Twp., Morgan Co., OH
          2: John Nelson - b: 31/Jan/1869 - Waterford Twp., Washington Co., OH
                                    d: 21/Dec/1939 - Denver, CO
                                   m: Ella Wood - 4/May/1890 - Gentry Co., MO
          3: Lilian Annetta - b: 17/Oct/1871 - Waterford Twp., Washington Co., OH
                                      d: 10/Mar/1938 - Denver, CO
          4: Eva O. - b: 1/Dec/1873 - Waterford Twp., Washington Co., OH
                            d: 28/Jan/1923 - Taylor Co., IA - bur: West Fairview Cem.
                           m: Frank Wilt - 14/Sep/1898 - Union Co., IA
          5: William Arthur - b: 5/May/1876 - Zanesville, Muskingum Co., OH
                                       d: 5/May/1952 - Denver, CO - bur: Crown Hill Cem.
                                       m: Evelyn Ingham - 28/Jun/1900 - Creston, Union Co., IA
          6: James Warren

Biographical Details:

Jennie Amanda Nelson was born in Hocking County, Ohio, on November 20, 1843.  Her parents were Jacob and Marilla Smith Nelson.  Unaccountably, she is identified as "Jane" in census records of 1850 and 1860.  Even so, this does not represent any serious discrepancy, since census enumerators often used phonetic spelling.  One can only suppose that "Jennie" sounded like "Janie".  Jennie Nelson married James Hastings, Jr., in Illinois in 1866; however, soon after their marriage they evidently moved to Morgan County, Ohio.  Even so, perhaps, because of a worldwide economic crisis in the 1870's, by 1880 they had settled in Gentry County, Missouri.  This location is relatively close to southern Iowa where many members of the Nelson family (including her parents) were already resident.  The Hastings family subsequently moved to a farm in neighboring Nodaway County in the early 1880's.  Unfortunately, it would seem that the marriage of James and Jennie Hastings failed about 1890 and he left the family and returned to Ohio.  Accordingly, in 1900 Jennie Hastings and three of her children, viz., Lily, Arthur, and Warren, were living the town of Creston in Union County, Iowa.  Again, this location was close to the residences of several of her siblings, particularly that of her older sister, Sarah Nelson Beatty and her husband John, who were living in Grant Township in neighboring Taylor County.  (In addition, her older daughter, Eva had married Frank Wilt two years earlier and the newlywed couple was also living in Taylor County.)  Census records indicate that in 1900 Jennie Hastings was a seamstress, Lilian (Lily) was a saleswoman, Arthur was a machinist, and Warren was still in school.  Family tradition asserts that Jennie Hastings and her three sons, John, Arthur, and Warren, and daughter, Lilian, moved to Iola in Anderson County, Kansas, in the first decade of the twentieth century, however, there is no substantial documentary evidence of this.  It is further believed that this move was motivated by the sons seeking work with the railroad.  Even so, Jennie Hastings and her unmarried daughter, Lilian, appear in the population schedule of the of the 1910 US Census for Adams County, Nebraska, and were then living in the town of Hastings.  Family tradition further asserts that Jennie moved with her sons to Morgan County, Colorado, about 1915.  However, she soon became seriously ill and returned to Iowa to live with her daughter, Eva, and died in Taylor County on June 28, 1917.¹  She was buried in the West Fairview Cemetery.

1. "Hastings, Jennie Amanda Nelson -- Jennie Amanda Nelson was born in Hocking County, O., November 20, 1843, and died in Creston, la., June 28, 1917, aged 73 years, 7 months and 8 days.  She was married to James Hastings in 1861.  Shortly thereafter removal was made to Illinois and after four or five years' stay they returned to Ohio.  In 1877 they came to Taylor county, Iowa, and located a few miles east of Lenox.  In subsequent years residence was had in different localities and in different states.  For the past several years Mrs. Hastings' home has been with her son and daughter at Snyder, Colorado.  Twelve years ago her husband passed away suddenly while on a visit to friends in Ohio.  She was the mother of six children, the eldest of whom, Elmer Elsworth, died in childhood.  The surviving children are John N., of Merino, Colo.; Mrs. Frank Wilt, of Lenox; Lillie A., William A. and James W., of Snyder, Colo.  Also a sister survives her, Mrs. Sarah Beatty, of Clearfield, Iowa.  There are twelve grandchildren and one great-grand child.  She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church from her early childhood and devoted in her attachment to the Christian life.  She had an active sympathy for the temperance cause.  Its advancement in the recent years was followed by her with prompt and eager interest.  Her life was that of a Christian woman who made place in her thought and endeavor for the teachings of the Holy scriptures.  Broken health in the last two years developed recently a painful and alarming malady which medical and surgical skills could not subdue.  Patiently and courageously she bore her suffering and calmly resigned herself to her Master's Will.  Funeral services were held in the Methodist Episcopal Church of Lenox, Sabbath afternoon, July 1, and burial was made in the local cemetery."  (obituary: Lenox Time Table, Lenox, IA, Thur., July 5, 1917)
back to bio.

Additional Citations:

2. 1870 US Census Population Schedule for Washington County, Ohio, National Archives, Washington DC:  pgs. 466B-467A, (microfilm: roll M593_1279; imgs. 426-7).

3. 1880 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 444A, (microfilm: roll T9_687; img. 219).

4. 1900 US Census Population Schedule for Union County, Iowa, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 47A, (microfilm: roll T623_461; img. 530).

5. 1910 US Census Population Schedule for Adams County, Nebraska, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 131A, (microfilm: roll T624_838; img. 264).

6. Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, Illinois State Archives & Illinois Genealogical Society, Springfield, IL, 2014.  ("Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900", www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/marriage.html)

7. Birth Records - Probate Court, Washington County, Marietta, OH: Bk. 1, pgs. 90-1, 186-7, and 294-5, (LDS Family History Library microfilm: roll # 0941955, Salt Lake City, UT, 2009).  (Private correspondence with Julia Lambert)

8. Register of Births, Nodaway County, Maryville, MO: pg. 121; No. 1575, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 4972; img. 134)) & Permanent Record of Births, Nodaway County, Maryville, MO: pg. 64; No. 1575, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 4972; img. 254)).

9. West Fairview Cemetery, Taylor County, Iowa (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=96633&CScn=West+Fairview&CScntry=4&CSst=14&CScnty=633&, continuously updated).

Return to Index