Bengta Nelson (otherwise known as Bettie, Betty, or Betsy Nilson or Nilsdotter) was born in Nosaby, Skåne County, Sweden to parents Nils Hansson and Bengta Pehrsdotter. Her mother died when she was only 6 years old. When she was 12 years old she left her homeland and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to begin a new life in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

Three of her mother's siblings had settled in Chicago in the late 1860s: her aunt Karna Pehrsdotter Rosberg aka Rosenberg, her aunt Kersti Pehrsdotter Swenson aka Swanson, and her uncle Nels Pehrsson aka Pearson. It is evident that Bettie had a close connection with her maternal aunts and uncle after her move to Chicago.

On 26 Apr 1890 Bettie married Nels P. Nelson, who had also been born in Sweden and immigrated to Chicago in childhood. Her husband's family originally came from the same area of Sweden as her own. In fact, her husband Nels's maternal uncle S. B. Rosberg was married to Bettie's maternal aunt Karna Pehrsdotter Rosberg.

It is known that Bettie and Nels had three children together. Their first child, a little daughter named Anna Alvira "Nellie" Nelson was born to the couple in June of 1890, shortly after their marriage. Sadly, she died at the age of 2, in July of 1892. Little Nellie is buried in the family burial plot of Bettie's maternal uncle Nels Pearson.

The Nelson's son Harry Albert Nelson was born in the summer of 1894, followed by another daughter Ethel O. Nelson in 1897. Ethel passed away just after turning 4 years old, in June of 1901. Although Harry's death details are currently unknown, there is evidence that he lived well into his 40s and remained a resident of his hometown of Chicago.

Bettie's husband Nels Nelson died in at the age of 46 in 1905. She then married Oscar Nelson, who apparently predeceased her by a number of years.

Bettie passed away in 1919 at the age of 50 and was laid to rest in the same burial plot with her maternal aunt Karna Rosberg.