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Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

     LOUIS NISSEN is a prosperous and well-to-do farmer whose home is eleven miles southeast of Ritzville. He was born near Leck, Germany, June 11, 1860, son of Detleff and Catharine (Christianson) Nissen, natives of Denmark. The father served in the rebellion of 1848. Our subject was a member of a family comprising eleven children. He, early in life, received a common school education which was supplemented later by a course in an institute at Lubeck. At the age of eighteen he started life for himself, beginning by clerking in a store, which vocation he followed six years. He then farmed two years, after which he came to America and was for a time located in Vermont. He then removed to Iowa and four years later to Nebraska, in both of which states he followed railroading. He left Nebraska and came to Washington in 1889, and worked for a brief time in Spokane at the carpenter's trade, and from that city he went to Latah, remained a few months, then came to his present location, where he filed on a homestead. After making final proof on his claim he went to Rock Creek valley and purchased an interest in a half section of land, where he lived four years. He then sold out and returned to his homestead where he has since made him home. From time to time since coming here Mr. Nissen has added to his real estate holdings until he now has a section and a fourth of agricultural land, the major portion of which is under cultivation and well improved with good buildings, orchard, and so forth.
     In 1889 Mr. Nissen was married to Ernestine Brasch, daughter of John and Henrietta (Tech) Brasch, native Germans who came to America prior to the Rebellion, in which the father was a soldier. They were one of the pioneer families of Wisconsin, and numbered seven children, four of whom are living.
     To Mr. and Mrs. Nissen have been born seven children: August, Ernest, Louise, Clara, Martha, Elsa and Harvey.
     In politics Mr. Nissen is a Democrat, and takes an active interest in the affairs of his party. He has been a school officer for the past seven years, and is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

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