- Date Of Birth: January 24, 1926
- Date Of Death: June 26, 2017
- State: Nebraska
Eugene Roy Nelson was born to Roy A. and Hannah (Nyquist) Nelson on the family farm southwest of Wausa. He was baptized at Mission Covenant Church on May 8, 1926 and confirmed on May 28, 1939. A brother Donald Adrian joined the family on April 29, 1929.
Gene grew up speaking Swedish, learned from his grandmother who lived with them. He learned English when starting elementary school at District 124 South.
In the fall of 1939 he started Wausa High School where he played in the band and was in vocal music and speech. He graduated in May of 1943. He graduated as salutatorian of his class but did not pursue higher education due to the war and he was needed on the farm during the summer and worked at Wilson Packing Plant in Omaha during the winter.
He received his draft notice and reported for duty on June 6, 1945 at Fort Leavenworth KS. He was sent to Camp Fannin, TX, which was an infantry camp. While on leave on December 22, 1945 he married Nathalyn Krohn at Golgotha Lutheran Church. He was discharged on December 6, l946.
They moved back to Nebraska and attended Norfolk Junior College. After graduating from College he was employed by the Federal Land Bank. In 1951 he went to work for Ballantyne’s Furniture and remained there until 1990. A vacation was taken every year and traveled with a travel trailer from 1966 to 1972.
He was also a member of the Norfolk Junior Chamber of Commerce and served as President and other offices. He was member of the Tourism Committee of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, the Norfolk Building Exchange, and Auditor of the United Fund and was a long time member of the Lions Club.
He went into woodworking on retirement and made small tokens and ornaments at Christmastime.
The couple built a new home in the fall of 1997. Gene provided supervisory advice to the construction.
He is survived by his wife, of 71 years, Nathalyn, his four children, Adrienne and Dennis Hardt of Omaha, Candace Nelson of Omaha, Faythe Petersen of Norfolk, and Ross and Shawne Nelson of Omaha. Five grandchildren Sarah and Gary Lovely of Omaha, NE., Alexander and Katie Hardt of Omaha, NE., Katherine and Scott Morrill of Lincoln, Hannah Nelson of Chicago, IL., and Andrew Nelson of Omaha; and great grandchildren Hunter and Maxx Morrill, Annabelle and Grayson Lovely and Myles Hardt as well as two step-great grandchildren Laura and Trevor Lovely.
