His parents have been surmised by autosomal dna connections to people who have some connection to Niels Sorensen Kold and Else Marie Pedersdatter. They had a son Niels Nielsen who was born in 1851 and who emigrated to Chebanse, Illinois in 1872 according to the Danish emigration index. Many Danes and Swedes from that region of Illinois migrated to Buena Vista Co., Iowa in the early 1880's. There was a 29-year-old Nels Nelson in Ford Co., Illinois (in the general area of Chebanse) in 1880 who is not found there later. Some of his future inlaws were also living in an adjacent township in the next county in 1880. They were Josephine's sister Louise married to Christ Larson and Josephine's sister Matilda. They moved to Buena Vista Co., Iowa from Illinois in the early 1880's. Christ Larson signed the marriage record for Josephine and Nels' wedding in 1883 in Buena Vista Co., Iowa.
