Orville W. Nelson

ORVILLE W. NELSON

Orville (Orv) W. Nelson, 76, of Menomonie, WI, passed away at home on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Orville Nelson was born on May 8, 1934 to Oscar and Ellen (Kjos) in Grasston, Minnesota. He graduated from Braham, MN High School, UW Stout and the University of Minnesota. He grew up on a dairy farm and assisted his parents on the farm during his teenage and college years.

In 1964 he married Sylvia Monson in Fargo, ND. They had three sons, Mark, Scott, and Brian.

Orv taught at UW Stout for 37 years until his retirement in 2000. He worked in the field of industrial technology where he taught many courses and held many positions. He helped faculty and students design research projects, develop research instruments and analyze data. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007.

Orv enjoyed time with family and friends and had a passion for sports, fishing, and photography. He especially enjoyed following Menomonie High School and UW Stout football and UW Stout basketball. He enjoyed playing football and basketball in high school, and played center for the UW Stout football team. He served as the athletic representative to the WSUC and enjoyed serving on the NCAA Research Committee for six years. The grandchildren were the favorite subjects of his photography hobby. He also enjoyed taking nature pictures, especially of bird and flowers. His favorite summer activity was fishing.

Orv was an active member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church where he had served on the board and several committees. After his retirement Orv was a leader for the Institute for Learning in Retirement and loved planning trips and activities for the group.

Orv is survived by Sylvia, his wife of 46 years, sons Mark, Plymouth, MN; Scott(Ann) River Falls, WI; and Brian(Cassie), Maple Grove, MN; grandchildren Natalie, Sam, Camryn, and Alexis; sister-in-law Lucy Nelson, nephews, nieces, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Cliff Nelson, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ernest and Lydia Monson.

We would like to thank the chemotherapy staff at Red Cedar Medical Center for their attentive and compassionate care.

The funeral will be held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Menomonie at 11 am on Monday, December 20th. There will be a visitation at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie from 3 to 7 pm on Sunday, December 19th and one hour preceding the service at the church. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Menomonie.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the UW Stout Foundation - Orv Nelson Scholarship or Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Menomonie.