Clarence
Nelson, 94
Thief
River Falls - Clarence Nelson, 94, died Monday,
August 4, 2003 at Oakland Park Nursing Home in
Thief River Falls.
Funeral
services will be held at 
10:30
a.m. on Thursday, August 7, at St. John Lutheran
Church in Thief River Falls with the Rev. Don
Kirschner officiating. Casketbearers will be Randy
Nelson, Brian Nelson, Jason Langseth, Richie
Nelson, Brandon Molstad, and Joey Langseth.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today
(Wednesday, August 6) at Johnson-Green Funeral Home
in Thief River Falls. Interment will be in
Telemarken Cemetery.
Clarence
was born on October 26, 1908 in Star Township of
Red Lake County and was baptized Ole Clarence
Johnson. His father died shortly before his birth,
and following the marriage of his mother, Gurty
Vatne Johnson, to Ole Nelson, he became known as
Clarence Nelson. When he was eight years old, his
mother and younger sister died in a house fire, and
Clarence was asked to choose if he wanted to live
with his paternal grandmother or stepfather and
younger brothers. He opted to remain a member of
the Nelson household and attended school at
District 38 school in Highlanding Township. As a
young man, Clarence traveled throughout the country
and held a variety of jobs.
On
February 22, 1934, he married Myrtle Heden, and the
couple made their home in the Highlanding area.
They were the parents of four children, Kenneth,
Vernon, Genevieve, and Doris. The family later
moved to Thief River Falls. Clarence continued to
enjoy a variety of occupations, including the
operation of heavy construction equipment and
helping build the Alaska Highway. During World War
II, he worked on submarines and destroyers for the
Civil Department in Vallejo, Calif. He returned to
northern Minnesota and later moved to Minneapolis
where he worked as a crane operator.
From
1958 to 1974, Clarence was employed as a diesel
mechanic for Suburban Transport, maintaining a
fleet of tanker trucks. In 1971, he was united in
marriage to Mae Helgerson at Reno, Nev. The couple
made their home in Champlin, and Clarence continued
to work following his retirement from Suburban
Transport. In 1990, Clarence and Mae moved to Thief
River Falls where they built a home.
Licensed
since 1940, Clarence was an avid amateur radio
operator and enjoyed talking to people all over the
world. He also enjoyed traveling and was a loyal
Minnesota Twins fan. He was a member of St. John
Lutheran Church.
Survivors
include two sons, Kenneth (Geraldine) Nelson of
Oklee and Vernon (Elaine) Nelson of Thief River
Falls; a daughter, Jennie (Allan) Swenson of
Hettinger, N. Dak.; a son-in-law, Phil Ostby of
Lindstrom; 10 grandchildren; 21
great-grandchildren, four great
great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and
nephews.
Preceding
Clarence in death were his wife, Mae; daughter,
Doris Ostby; a grandson, Terry Nelson; his parents;
two brothers, Arthur and Norman Nelson; and a
sister, Anna Nelson. A00003B2003AG06
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