Iral Conrad NelsonIral Conrad nelson (1900-1994) was born and raised on a small farm near Gordonsville, Minnesota. There he attended the common schools which consisted of Grammar School and two years of High School. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Norway in 852, and he was always interested in the Norwegian Language and culture. He was a Life Member of the Sons of Norway, Sonja Lodge of Eugene, Oregon, and an ardent member of the Eugene Norsemen's Chorus. He became reasonably fluent in Norwegian and Lodge associates told him that he could get along well speaking with natives in Norway. His maternal grandfather immigrated with his parents from Wales to Pennsylvania in about 1820. His maternal grandmother was born in western Pennsylvania and was likely a mix of Scotch-Irish and German, but with a touch of Native American from the 1700's. (His grandmother once told his older brother, You got more Indian in you than you think you have.) The latter likely influenced his treatment of Native Americans in the story. His idea for Viking's Last Voyage apparently began with reading of The Riddle of the Kennsington Stone published in Reader's Digest, November 1948. Read More Read Less