Amanda Nelson was born on January 5, 1883 in southern Sweden. She was one of ten children who worked on their small farm. After finishing school and working in the fields for several years, Amanda decided to move to America. In 1904, at the age of twenty, she and a friend traveled to the United States. Amanda's sister paid for her trip over, so Amanda worked for her on her farm near Portland, Oregon to pay off the debt. Since the labor was so difficult and Amanda did not like living with her sister and brother-in-law, Amanda found a job as a housekeeper with a Jewish family in Portland. She also traveled and worked in Florida, Colorado, and New York.
From the description of Amanda Nelson Oral History Interview 1978. (Eugene Public Library). WorldCat record id: 182820288
