Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Transcribed from BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, 1901, page 309
Provided by Dan Graves, Historian, Mt Hope Library
Submitted to Sedgwick County KSGenWeb by Jan LaMotte, 23 July 2000

REV. NELSON L. WATSON 1817-1897

    Nelson L. Watson, deceased, for many years a prominent farmer of Greeley township, Sedgwick County, Kansas, had an interesting and varied career, having been both a minister of the Gospel, and a physician. He was a man of considerable prominence in his locality and his death, which occurred February 2, 1897, was mourned by a large circle of friends, who realized that in him the township had lost one of its worthiest citizens. Nelson L. Watson was born April 11, 1817, and was a son of Joseph and Jane (McCormick) Watson, both natives of the north of Ireland.

    Joseph Watson was educated in the schools of Ireland. His parents died when he was an infant, and he was adopted by a wealthy family, who spared no means in providing him with a good education. He came to this country directly after his marriage to Jane McCormick, and they settled in Greene county, Pennsylvania, where he took up land in 1812, and developed it into a valuable farm. He reared his entire family upon that place, and became a very wealthy farmer. He died there about the year 1855. He and his wife were the parents of the following children: Eliza; James; Nelson L.; Byron; Mary; Jane; Nancy; Hannah; and John. In religious belief, they were Methodists. Mrs. Watson died about 1860, aged seventy-seven years.

    The mind of Nelson L. Watson was cultivated in the public schools of Pennsylvania, and at the age of nineteen years, he began teaching school. He taught for several years, and then entered a theological school and became a Methodist minister, belonging to the Pittsburgh conference. He preached until 1854, when he relinquished the work on account of the failure of his voice. He had taken up the study of medicine and graduated a year or two previous to abandoning the ministry, and on the cessation of his pastoral labors he practiced medicine for about two years. Upon recovering the full use of his voice, he returned to preaching and thus continued several years. He next became interested in the grain business in DeKalb county, Illinois, where he remained until 1871, and then removed to Kansas with his family. He acquired the property on which his family now resides, consisting of 160 acres in section 34, Greeley township, Sedgwick county. There he industriously followed the occupation of farming, until his death, February 2, 1897. He lived a long and useful life, and was held in the highest esteem by all. He was an excellent farmer and an extensive stock raiser, being unqualifiedly successful in his work.

    Mr. Watson was united in marriage, in 1859, with Mary E. Dale, a daughter of Frank and Maria (Webster) Dale, both natives of England. Mr. And Mrs. Watson became the parents of the following children: Kate, Charles S, Frank J., Robert D., Ella M., and one who died in infancy. Kate married Henry Johnson, of Sherman township, Sedgwick county, and six children were born to them: Maude E., deceased; Claudia, deceased; Charles N.; Fred M.; Sidney R.; and Herman E. Charles S. married Mary H. Harrover, and they have two children, Frank N. and Stewart A. Frank J. is deceased. Robert D. married Fannie M. Wedge, and they have a daughter, Hazel Mary. Ella M. married Herman B. Tihen, M. D., of Andale, Sedgwick county, and they have two children, Henry N. and Irene B. Religiously, the family are devout Methodists. Mrs. Watson still resides on the old home property in Greely township, where she is surrounded by a host of friends of long years' standing.

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