Nels C. Nelson

Nels C. Nelson, age 77, of Rollag, MN, died Friday, April 11, 2009, in Viking Manor, Ulen, MN.Nels Curtis Nelson was born on May 19, 1931 to Carl A. and Nora B. Thompson Nelson on the family farm in Rollag, MN. Nels' great-grandfather, Christopher Nelson came to Rollag, MN from Rollag, Numedal, Norway. Carl A. was the first president of the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion WMSTR in Rollag. This tradition has carried on through five generations of Nelson's. Nels and his family have been very active in the WMSTR. Nels served on the board of directors for 12 years.Nels grew up, raised a family and retired on a beautiful farmstead located about two miles north of the village of Rollag. He grew up with several aunts, uncles and cousins that lived in the area. Nels only spoke Norwegian until he started school. Nels attended country school at District 109 in Parke Township. He later attended Hawley High school until his junior year when he began helping his parents with the farming, sawing and well drilling. Nels was a lifelong member of Rollag Lutheran Church. He was baptized and confirmed by the Reverend S.G. Hauge. In the later years Nels served several years on the church council. On June 19, 1954, Nels married Dolores Swenson of Cormorant, MN at Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri while Nels was stationed in the U.S. Army. Later they were transferred to Ft. Benning, Georgia and eventually to Germany. Nels was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and returned home to Rollag to farm and began working for Ardean Olson Road Construction of Lake Park, MN. He was also employed by Moen Brothers Road Construction of Moorhead, MN. During his employment with Moen Brothers, the family lived in Page, Mcville and Hebron, ND. In 1962 he accepted a job with the Clay County Highway Department where he was employed for 31 years before his retirement in 1993. He spent the majority of his 31 years as a Road Maintainer Operator in the rural Rollag area.He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Dolores Nelson of Rollag, MN; two sons, Sherwood Sheila Nelson of Lake Park, MN and Brian Janna Nelson of Hitterdal, MN; one daughter, Carmen John Vlasin of Maple Grove, MN; eight grandchildren, Nicholas Tocarra Nelson, Jennifer Nelson, Andrew Amy Nelson, David Vlasin, Stacey Steve Palm, DeForrest Nelson, Simon Nelson and Connor Nelson; two great-grandchildren, Sawyer Nelson & London Nelson; and several nieces and nephews. He has been a resident of the Viking Manor in Ulen since February, 2002. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Corrine Nelson and Ardell Christensen.