Oliver 'Ollie' Nelson Obituary (1926

Oliver F. "Ollie" Nelson was born on October 23, 1926 in Red Wing, Minnesota to Albert Edwin Nelson and Ellen Hildegarde "Gustafson" Nelson. He passed away on September 28, 2019. Ollie grew up on the family farm, attended Burnside Elementary School and graduated from Red Wing High School in 1944. He was active in 4H, sports and chores on the family farm. After high school, he enlisted in the Army and served in the Philippines, Guam and Saipan during World War II. After his discharge, he considered going into teaching and/or coaching, but the prospects did not seem promising. During a visit to the Red Wing YMCA, he shared his dilemma with the Ys General Secretary who recommended he consider attending George Williams College and a career in the YMCA. He applied, was accepted and, thanks to the GI Bill, he was able to attend. In 1948, while at George Williams College, he met Martha Ann Wood on a college outing and they had their first ride on a tandem bicycle. They were married on June 11, 1949 and they took their honeymoon on a tandem bicycle. During their 70 years of marriage, they were two wheeled partners in more than 40 states, Canada, England, Scotland, Sweden, Holland, and the Netherlands. They enjoyed a variety of outings in the Northwest with their "Over the Hill Gang" bicycle group and in 1996 they traveled 2500 miles on their tandem bike from Yakima, Washington to Fort Wayne Indiana for Anns 50-year high school class reunion. During their trip to Fort Wayne, they raised $12,000 in pledges to help restore the Yakima Greenway that had been damaged by flooding the previous year. After graduating from college with a degree in Group Work Education, Ollie started his career at the YMCA in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1951. Sons Eric and Karl were born in Grand Rapids. In 1957, he accepted the position of General Secretary (Executive Director) for the YMCA in Fargo, North Dakota. Daughters Kristi, Karen and Kathie, were born in Fargo. While in Fargo, he helped lead a community effort to raise 1.2 million dollars to build a new YMCA. In 1963, the Nelson family moved to Yakima, Washington, where Ollie became General (Executive) Director of the Yakima Family YMCA. He served in that capacity for 25 years and retired in 1988. In retirement, he worked on annual fundraising campaigns and endowment development for the Yakima YMCA and served as an interim director for several YMCAs. The YMCA was a perfect vehicle for him to pursue his passions of sports, people, and community. During his time at the Yakima Y, membership was opened to women and girls, the Robertson Addition was completed, community outreach and youth programs were expanded, camp facilities were upgraded and new facilities built, and the Y hosted annual Sunfair Handball tournaments and the YMCA National Handball Tournament in 1981. The Chapel at YMCA Camp Dudley bears his name. Ollie helped organize the first Slow Pitch softball league in Yakima. He was one of the early members of the Yakima Sunfair Committee and helped organize the first conditioning program for the annual community climb of Mt. Adams. He served on the boards of many community organizations, including Monday Morning Quarterbacks, Yakima Speech and Hearing Center, Shepard Center, Yakima Valley Bank, Yakima Council of Churches, and Wellness House. He was a member the Yakima Rotary Club for 56 years, was Club President in 1972-73, and served as Rotary District Governor in 1991-92. He chaired the Yakima School District Special Levy in 1975, headed the Nob Hill Boulevard Improvement Bond Committee and served on the Yakima Centennial Committee in 1985. In 1998 he received the Ted Robertson Community Service Award. Ollie loved sports: softball (he was the guy in centerfield playing without a mitt), baseball, basketball, volleyball, paddleball, racquetball, handball (he played in tournaments throughout the Northwest, Florida, North Dakota, Utah, and San Francisco and was the National YMCA Golden Masters Singles Champion in 1979), table tennis (in the farmhouse, in the service and at college), and golf (three hole in ones, the first in 1951 and the third in 2004). He found handball to be the most challenging sport and golf to be the most frustrating. All of his sports endeavors provided opportunities to challenge himself, compete with others, and develop many friendships. Above all else, Ollie cherished family. It was a priority that his children be close with their relatives near and far. From weekend hiking and climbing excursions, to numerous cross-country road trips visiting relatives from Washington to New York. Ollies children have been blessed with a lifetime of memories to carry them through. Ollie tried to share his faith by actions more than words. He loved people and treated each day as a precious gift from God. Ollie had no fear of death and hoped heaven would be a place where he could renew relationships with friends and relatives who had left before him and a place where he could remember all of the many blessings he had received in his nearly 93 years on earth. Ollie was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Ethel (Mrs. Paul Suchy) and Betty (Mrs. Harold Sjoquist); and a son, Karl Edwin Nelson. He is survived by his wife Ann; children Eric (and Jean) Nelson, Kristi (and John) Heilman, Karen (and Carl) Marsh, and Kathie (and Steve) Williams; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church (14 North 48th Avenue in Yakima) on Friday, October 25 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions may be made to the Ollie Nelson Youth Endowment Fund (c/o Yakima YMCA, 5 N. Naches Avenue, Yakima, WA 98901). The family wishes to thank the dedicated and compassionate staff at the Living Care Retirement Community for their support of Ollie during his final years. Memorial Service Wesley United Methodist Church Friday, October 25, 2019 2:00 PM 14 North 48th Avenue Yakima, WA 98908 Memorial Service Wesley United Methodist Church Friday, October 25, 2019 2:00 PM 14 North 48th Avenue Yakima, WA 98908