OBITUARIES
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Thomas Nelson
Resided in Rapid River, MI
Died Dec. 11, 2004
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Thomas Edwin “Tom” Nelson, age 55, of 10538 North Main Street; Rapid River, died Saturday, December 11th, 2004 at home.
Tom was born January 5th, 1949 in Gladstone, the son of Edwin and Lenore “Chickie” (Rushford) Nelson and was raised in Rapid River. He was a 1967 valedictorian graduate of the Rapid River High School. Following his graduation, Tom was employed at Fisher Body Corp. in Lansing for one year until being drafted into the US Army. While in the Armed Forces, he served one year in Vietnam and one year stateside before returning to Delta County. In 1971, Tom joined the Plumbers and Pipe-fitters Union Local #190 in Ann Arbor and while downstate, he met his future wife, the former “Kathi” Parker. They married June 15th, 1974 in Freemont, Michigan and they subsequently relocated to the Rapid River area. Tom joined the Escanaba Plumber and Pipe-fitters Union Local #506 and retired from his field in 2002. He also served as president of his union from 1999 to 2003 and was well respected and loved by those who worked with him.
Tom Nelson was a member of the Memorial United Methodist Church of Gladstone, Rapid River American Legion Walter W. Cole Post # 301, Delta County Swedish Club, Rapid River Lions Club and the Gladstone Masonic Lodge #396 F&AM, where he served Worshipful Master for a period of time. He is a former member of the Congregational Church of Rapid River.
Tom was known as a very loving, hard working, and caring man with great character who would help anyone who asked. As a community volunteer, he would work with the youth of the community coaching ball and would build an ice rink in the Rapid River tennis courts for hockey and skating to be enjoyed by all. In his leisure, Tom also enjoyed wood-cutting and working with his family and other people who had their own projects they were working on. He also took satisfaction in the basic pleasures of life and delighted in spending time with all his family, including fishing and going to ball games with his son.
Tom Nelson’s survivors include:
Two loving children: Valerie Nelson of Kalamazoo, MI; Don Nelson of Bakersfield, CA
His mother, Lenore “Chickie” Ojala of Rapid River
The mother of his children, “Kathi” Nelson of Big Rapids, MI
1 Brother- Darryl “Chum” (Bonita) Nelson of Rapid River
2 Sisters- Betty (Jim) Tafoya of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Sandra Ojala of Rapid River
Cousins and good neighbors, Barb, Paul, and Kevin Roberts
and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins.
In addition to his father, Edwin Nelson, who preceded him in death in 1955, he was also preceded by his step-father, Reino Ojala, in 1970; by a special uncle, Bill Nelson, in 1999 and by a special great-uncle, Fred Ames, in 2001.
The family of Tom Nelson will receive friends on Thursday at the Memorial United Methodist Church in Gladstone at 1920 Lake Shore Drive from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Services celebrating Tom’s life will follow on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Memorial United Methodist Church with Rev. Joanne Bartelt and Rev. William Rafuse officiating. Committal services will be held at the Gardens of Rest Cemetery; Wells on Friday at 10:00 a.m. where military rites will also be conducted by the Rapid River American Legion. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorials be directed to them for a scholarship fund to be established in the near future in Tom’s memory with the Plumbers and Pipe-fitters Union in Escanaba. Envelopes will be available at the church or at the Skradski-Boyce Family Funeral Homes of Delta County who are assisting the Nelson family. |
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