Nelvin Prestlien

  Research Notes:

Summary: Nelvin was the youngest of the family of Iver Prestlien and Kjersti Grue. He was born 15 Jan 1899. A little more than a year later, his mother died [on 28 May 1900]. In the 1911 Canada census, Nelvin is recorded with his grandparents [Thore S Grue and Berit]. The record notes that he came to Canada in 1904, although he is not recorded with Thore Grue family in the 1906 census of the northwest provinces [Canada]. It is likely that he lived with his father for at least a couple of years 1912-1914, possibly longer. His father had made homestead entry in the Whitecourt area.

On 11 Feb 1916, Nelvin



1. Photo: Thore Grue family, taken about 1907-1910; [personal collection]

2. Source: 1911 Canada Census; Alberta, District Strathcona, sub-district #27 (Twp 48, Range 20, W4th), page 4

- Nelvin is listed as an adopted son to Thore Simonson Grue (actually an uncle - brother to Kjertsi Grue, mother)
- born in the US and em 1904


3. Source: First World War service files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead and Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force; 151 Overseas Batt. C.E.F [ link to his service file
http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B7965-S012 ]

- address, Camrose, AB
- birth location as Norman, WA
- next of kin, Iver Prestlien, Florence, WA
- trade or calling, farmer
- Declaration - Attestation: 11 Feb 1916 (in handwriting) ; 23 May 1916 [typewritten] - both at Camrose, AB
- age 18; weight 135 pounds; height, 5' 6& a quarter "; complexion, fair; eyes brown; hair red; small scar at base of left thumb; religion, Lutheran
- declared fit for service by Medical Officer and signed by officer of commanding unit; 11 Feb 1916, Camrose, AB

- NOTE: on the Attestation Papers and the Medical Officer certificate, his birthday is recorded as 15 Jan 1898, making him 18 years old - the age he says in his 'declaration' (...the above answers made by me to the above questions are true .... [birth])
BUT , his birth was 15 Jan 1899, putting his age as 17 yrs and 27 days, so a month earlier and he would have 16; minimum age was 18

Birth: 15 Jan 1899, Washington, U.S., Birth Index, 1907-1920 [see copy in Nelvin's folder under Prestliens]
- this is a copy of an Affidivat of Birth of nearist relative or person with knowledge of this birth:
sworn by Olga Prestlien Larson, as a sister, 310 West 84th St, Seattle; signed 18 Mar 1942 before Notary Public



** NOTE; these files are at times confusing, since they do not appear to be in order, and most of the time there is no context to the pages or any explanation.
- a number of pages of the file [5, 7, 10, 17, and then page 49]: Discharged since he enlisted under age without
parents consent - 23 May 1916. BUT, he did continue with service [see continuation, page 57]. The file gives no explanation, but it is likely that Nelvin either received consent from his dad or someone else or he somehow appealed.
- page 57, demobilization, summarizes: enlisted, 23 May 1916; embarked from Halifax 3 May 1917, sent to France on
8 Feb 1918, and then returned to Canada 30 May 1919
- the file notes a couple of hospital stays - one because he was gassed, another because of influzena, but his medicals on discharge indicated no disablity

- Also: Iver M Prestlien is recorded throughout as next of kin, with Iver's address as Florence




4 June 2016 *** NOTE: the Canadian WW 1 complete services files are being digitalized by Library and Archives Canada and as of 15 May they are at surname Jelley ..... ; presumably adding every week and putting an update on the 15th of the month

Nelvin Prestlien: Regimental Number: 294411 ; 624794 (2 regimental numbers are recorded) Date of Birth: 15/01/1898
Reference: RG150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 7965 - 12; Item Number: 586702



** Erik Broen's attestation paper was date 27 May 1916 (Eirk's file did not include a handwritten paper)


4. 1916 Canada Census - no entry (at least no index and not on the sheet with Thore Grue family ), but if he joined the army for WW 1 in Feb 1916, he may have already been overseas, or was in Winnipeg and/or Halifax


5. Jackson Co (OR) Genealogy Library - rvgslibrary.org/obituaries

- provides index: Nelvin - death 1988, Vol 22, Page 222; Anna L - death, 1998. Vol 32, page 154
- website also has an index under "wedding announcements" Mr & Mrs Nelvin Prestlien - likely 50th wedding aniversary

6. 1930 US Census, Everett Precinct, Snohomish Co, WA; ED 0020; Sheet 3A; dw/fam 87/95 [line 46]

- recorded Melvin (not Nelvin); - age 31, married at age 27, owns home with a value of $3850.00; no occupation/trade or work listed
- wife, Anna L, age 25, married at age 22, born in Oregon (father born in Penn; mother born in Nebraska)
- son, Donald G, age 2 and 1/12
- father, Iver M, age 84, widow


7. 1940 US Census, Inglewood, CA

- Nelvin, age 41 born in WA; grade 6; worked 36 hrs wk of Mar 24; worked 48 wks in 1939, private wage; usual job Long Shore Man, Shipping
- Anna, wife, age 35 born in OR; 4 yrs high school; housework
- Donald, son, age 12 born in WA; grade 5
- Anna Lee, daughter, age 4 born in WA
- residence - 1 Apr 1935 - Everett, WA

8. 1950 US Census, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co; ED 66-2564; Sheet 4; line 15
Nelvin Prestlien, age 51 b in WA; loading/unloading ships; longshoring
wife Anna, age 45 b in OR
son Donald, age 23 b in WA; seaman with Merchant Marine
dau Anna Lee, age 14 b in WA



9. Ancestry.com - Seattle Passenger Lists; Nov 1923

- last address - Edmonton, AB
- age 24, occupation as Machinists Helper,
- final destination - Stanwood, WA
- next of Kin or friend (from alien country) - None


10. Source: wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com; Contact: Jack Ciaccia, WMOG@aol.com; 20 March 2002
( +++ Obit is also recorded on Findagrave.com )

funeral for Anna L. Prestlien will be held Saturday at Gamby Mortuary in Lomita, Calif. Interment will be in Green Hills Memorial Park in San Pedro, Calif.
Mrs. Prestlien, 93, of Ruch, died Thursday (March 19, 1998) in Medford.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriner's Hospital for Children, 3101 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201.
She was born June 16, 1904, in Eagle Point, a daughter of Charles and Lilah Walch Thomas. The Walches, an Oregon pioneer family, moved to the Wellen area in 1882.
Mrs. Prestlien graduated from Everett, Wash., High School.
On Nov. 20, 1926, in Everett, she married Nelvin Prestlien, who died in 1988. They moved to the Rogue Valley in 1964 from Lomita.
Mrs. Prestlien was a member of the Crater Garden Club and Rogue Valley Pairs RV Club.
Survivors include four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Anna Lee Gauss in 1979; a son, Donald, in 1978; two brothers, Carroll Prestlien and Everett Prestlien; and a grandson.
Arrangements: Conger-Morris Funeral Directors, Medford.
Source: Medford Mail Tribune

Copied and accessed by Rueben D Grue, 17 Oct 2012; From, wc.rootweb.ancestry.com; link, http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:1965840&id=I95639773
- the above link on rootsweb .... in relation to Nelvin's wife

Obit refers to her brothers, Carroll and Everett with surname. I suspect this is an error. On findagrave.com, there are links to both brothers, with their surname as Thomas.


Marriage: 20 Nov 1926 at Everett: There are no marriage records for Snohomish Co in 1926 on WA Digital


11. Ancestry.com - Ryan Fournier data (and a few others, who have simply added the photo)

--- ++ has the wrong photo of tombstone (his photo is of Nelvin S Prestlien, born in 1889 and died in 1897 ------------ [ 18 Oct 2012 -- ] -- see my comment on Fournier's family tree

---- ++ but likely Nelvin Selmer Prestlien, son of Nels M Prestlien (brother to Iver M), born 1889; Kurt Hahn ancestry family tree has Nelver Selmer Prestlien, born 1889 but dying in 1900 - But he does have a lot of errors in his data; --- ++ HOWEVER, I have a photo of Nelvin S Prestlien tombstone, next to Nels M Prestlien at the Silvana cemetery, taken 15 Oct 2008 (memorex flash drive)


b. Holdworth & Prestlien Family Public Member Tree owner ' NewtonTurp' from central California, with last login in Apr 2014.

- photos of Nelvin and of Donald
- relationship - connection through Donald's wife, Beverly Holdsworth
- email of 5 Apr 2014 from tree owner: [ see 'message' folder on Ancestry messages]
Rueben, I've been planning to delete my Holdsworth and Prestlien tree, as the remaining children of Donald J P[restlien] & Beverly have shown NO interest.
As I mentioned yesterday to you, I was attempting to learn who the Elders are in the 1850 ish or so pastel drawings. In 5 months have learned nothing. Only the little I was able to glean from various Census.
If you want any of the Donald Jean Prestlien & his parents etceteras photos, please copy them for your records.

- record for David Michael Prestlien: "David was found in his Lomita home. Cause of death not divulged by the Family."


12. US City Directories:

Ventura, Ventura Co, CA: Nelvin and Anna; years 1946

13. Misc. on Ancestry.com ; Washington, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1961

- arrival at Seatle on 23 May 1919; left port of Vancouver
- age 20, born in Norman WA, father "Ivan" at Florence WA and this is his designation
- record says "he is been in US since birth until 1916"
- 5 ft 9 inches, fair complexion, sandy hair, brown eyes

Problems with this record
1) name is recorded as Melvin Prestlien; there is no other Melvin Prestlien that I know of; so this likely Nelvin; the only other possibility is Melvill Anders Prestlien son of Ander M, but Melvill was born in 1882 in MN
2) in US since birth until 1916, on another record from 1923, it is noted that he left in 1907 ^{472,473,474,475}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence - 1911, 1 Jun 1911, Armena, Alberta, Canada. ⁴⁷⁶

2. Arrival - 1923, Nov 1923, Seattle, King Co, Washingon, United States. ⁴⁷⁷ Arrival at Seattle from Vancouver, BC

3. Residence - 1930, 1 Apr 1930, Everett, Snohomish Co, Washington, United States. ⁴⁷⁸

4. Residence - 1935, 1 Apr 1935, Everett, Snohomish Co, Washington, United States. ⁴⁷⁹

5. Residence - 1940, 1 Apr 1940, Inglewood, Los Angeles Co, California, United States. ⁴⁸⁰ Address: 2131 - 247 Street; Enumeration on 3 Apr 1940

Nelvin married Anna Lucretia Thomas, daughter of Unknown and Unknown, on 20 Nov 1926 in Everett, Snohomish Co, Washington, United States.⁴⁶⁸ (Anna Lucretia Thomas was born on 16 Jun 1904 in Eagle Point, Jackson Co, Oregon, United States,⁴⁸¹ died on 19 Mar 1998 in Medford, Jackson Co, Oregon, United States ⁴⁸² and was buried in Green Hills Memorial Park, San Pedro, California, United States ^483,484.)