John Richard Nelson was born November 14, 1933 in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
He graduated from Chandler High in Chandler, Oklahoma where he loved sports and excelled in Football, Basketball and Track.
John married Glendola Dunn December 6, 1950.
His career started in the oilfields of Oklahoma and Texas as a roughneck. He moved his family to Lafayette, Louisiana in 1956, where he spent 20 years working for Colona Thread protectors as a field representative and became a District Manager. He then ventured into the thread protector business with his son Johnny Glenn in Houston, Tx. for 18 years with a lot of success. When times got tough in the oilfield he could always get creative and come up with work which would involve owner/operator trucking and tractor mowing business on Lake Livingston. He worked until his 80’s.
His love for sports led him to become coach of 7th and 8th grade football at Teurlings Catholic High School winning 2 state championships with a B league baseball team called Burger Chef. He then coached an American Legion team Lafayette Guaranty Bank for several years with a lot of success. He refereed High School football for 20 years, always getting handpicked for state playoffs.
He also had a great love of gardening with his wife Glendola, always having a huge garden and canning a lot of their crops and giving to family and friends. In the mix of all of this he always raised different types of animals, which included racing pigeons, dogs, cows, horses, goats, and chickens. John loved fishing, shrimping, and hunting.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Daisy Moore Nelson & John Carr Nelson; wife, Glendola Dunn Nelson, and siblings Clarence, Bob Kay, Bruce, and Thelma.
John is survived by his children, Kathryn Nelson; Johnny Glenn Nelson and wife Gail Nelson; Anthony Nelson and wife Elvira Nelson; Carolyn Stivender and husband Errol Stivender; Michael Nelson and wife Teresa Nelson. 16 grandchildren, 34 greatgrandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren.
John Nelson led a very busy and fulfilling life. John passed at his home comfortably in hospice care in Huntsville, Texas, May 4, 2023. He will be dearly missed and remembered by family and friends.
The visitation will be held on Thursday, May 11, 2023, 5:00-8:00pm, Heritage Oak Funeral Home.
Funeral Service will be held on Friday, May 12, 2023 10:00am, Heritage Oak Funeral Home. A Reception will follow the service at Heritage Oak Funeral Home.