Elwyn Nelson

Elwyn F. Nelson III went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on December 8th, 2010, after a brave battle with leukemia. He was born in Oshkosh on Dec. 21, 1922, son of Elwyn and Louise (Meyer) Nelson and grandson of C.R. and Louisa Meyer. He graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1940 and received a degree in civil engineering from University of Wisconsin Madison in 1944. He served his country in World War II as a Navy Seabee in the Philippines. He remained in the Naval Reserve for 23 years, retiring as Lieutenant Commander. Jack spent his entire career in the construction industry, working initially for Edward H. Meyer Construction Co. and Precour Construction Co., and then for 32 years for C.R. Meyer & Sons Co., retiring in 1987 as Executive Vice President. He worked mostly within the paper industry, managing the construction of paper mills and rebuilding of paper machines. He made many lifelong friends among his construction crews and paper industry personnel. Jack was a member of the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers and served as president of the Wisconsin Chapter of Associated General Contractors in 1984. On Oct. 26, 1946, he married the love of his life, Virginia (Ginna) Miller. Together they enjoyed working with young people. As newlyweds they led a group of teenagers in the Methodist Youth Fellowship at First Methodist Church and embarked on an ambitious project to educate a young Filipino man to become a medical doctor. They succeeded, and today, Dr. Ricardo Fernando, 81, has become the outstanding authority on diabetes in all of Southeast Asia and is world-renowned in his field. Dr. Fernandos crowning achievement was the establishment of the Institute for Studies in Diabetes, now housed in its own building in metro Manila. Here doctors and nurses can receive a two year advanced degree in diabetology. To this date more than 500 have been trained to serve their indigent countrymen in the far-flung areas of the Philippine Islands. The Fernando and Nelson families have visited each other several times over the years and have become a close family.From 1949 on, the Nelson family spent every summer living at their cottage on Black Wolf Pt. Together they enjoyed swimming, sailing, water skiing, and making homemade ice cream. Jack especially enjoyed sailing and spent many years after the children were grown participating in races of the Lake Winnebago Sailing Association on his boat, the Sommer Schuss. He served as president of the LWSA, loved teaching others to sail, and was a certified keelboat sailing instructor. The Nelsons hosted two American Field Service students - Fernando Diaz-Vergara from Chile in 1965-66 and Jan Willem Eelkman Rooda from the Netherlands in 1969-70. The Roodas have since become close friends and are also like family. Jack and Ginna loved the sport of downhill skiing and were the first leaders of the newly formed YMCA ski club from 1964-1970, taking more than 500 teens to area ski hills, including some in Upper Michigan. All the Nelson children and grandchildren and even three of the great-grandchildren have learned to ski, and the family spent many happy days skiing both in the U.S. and in Europe. Jack was an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts. He became an Eagle Scout as a young man and was awarded the Silver Beaver for service to the Scouts as an adult. He was associated with Troop 6 (now 606) all his scouting life, serving as Scoutmaster, Troop committee member and as Troop Commissioner. He also served on the Bay Lakes Councils Advisory Board. He enjoyed advising young men who were in the process of becoming Eagle Scouts. Throughout the years, Jack developed close relationships with many young people and became a father figure to several of them.When he was 80 years old, Jack started participating in triathlons with the encouragement of his son and son-in-law, winning first and second place trophies in his age group. (He laughingly admitted he was usually the only one in his category.) He won his last race this past summer at the age of 87 in spite of his leukemia.A great passion of Jacks was the restoration of the Fox River Locks, and he spent more than 20 years encouraging and working to develop the Fox River Heritage Parkway, which is now nearing completion. He was a board member of the Fox River Navigation System Authority. He was a long-term member of Friends of the Fox and was given the John Forster Vision trophy for his efforts.Jack served on the board of Evergreen Retirement Community, was a president of The Last Mans Club of the American Legion, and was a member of the SCORE committee of the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Paine Art Center and Gardens, Grand Opera House, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and the Nelson WomenS Fund, Oshkosh Community Pantry, Oshkosh YMCA, Oshkosh Yacht Club, and Oshkosh Country Club. Jack was very active in his church, the First United Methodist, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, and serving on various committees. His faith in the Lord sustained him all of his life. His favorite Bible verse, given to him by his mother when he went to war, and which he often shared with others, was Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. Jack is survived by his beloved wife, Ginna, of 64 years, his three children: Thomas (Diane) Nelson, Reno, NV, Barbara (Timothy) Mulloy, Oshkosh, and Katherine Chase, Oshkosh; eight grandchildren: Noel (David) Weber, Truckee, CA, Elizabeth (Blaine) Nelson-Johnson, Truckee, CA, Emily Tessendorf, Manchester, NH, Maggie (Matthew) Larson, Richfield, MN, Kyle (Anna) Mulloy. Austin TX, Jesse (Emily) Chase, Omro, WI, Samuel (Angela)Chase, Reynoldsburg, OH, and Nathan (Savannah) Chase, Crawfordville, FL; nine great-grandchildren: Gavin Weber, Isabelle and Tommy Nelson-Johnson, all of Truckee, CA; Matthew, Madeline, Annabelle, Caroline, and Henry Chase of Omro, WI, and Elsa Chase of Crawfordville, FL; a sister Helen (Ted) Iltis, Madison, WI, sister-in-law Janet Jefferys, Roland Park, MD, several nieces and nephews, and many, many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.A celebration of JackS life will be held at First United Methodist Church, 700 W. Linwood Ave, Oshkosh, Wi. on Saturday December 11, 2010 at noon with Rev. John Hobbins officiating. Visitation will be on Friday December 10, 2010 from 5-7 p.m. at Konrad-Behlman Funeral Homes-Westside and on Saturday at the church from 11 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be in Lake View Memorial Park.Memorials can be sent to Bay Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America, 2555 Northern Rd., Appleton, WI 54914; to Fox River Heritage Parkway, c/o Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, 230 Ohio St., Oshkosh, WI, 54902; or to the First United Methodist Church.The family wishes to express their great gratitude to Dr. Karen Gremminger and the loving, caring staff at the Michael D. Wachtel Cancer Center, and to Affinity Hospice for their wonderful care and concern for Jack during his illness.And He will lift you up on eagles wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand.

Konrad-Behlman Funeral Home - Westside



100 Lake Pointe Drive
Oshkosh
WI
54904

Friday, December 10, 2010
5-7 p.m.



First United Methodist Church



700 Linwood Ave
Oshkosh
WI
54901

Saturday, December 11, 2010
11 a.m. until service



First United Methodist Church



700 Linwood Ave
Oshkosh
WI
54901

Saturday, December 11, 2010
noon



Lake View Memorial Park



2786 Algoma Blvd
Oshkosh
WI
54901