Obituary of Robert James Nelson

Robert ‘Bob’ James Nelson, 92, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2023, surrounded by his beloved family.

Bob was born on June 20, 1931, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, to Ernest and Rose Nelson. Bob, with his parents and his siblings, Don, Merrian, Marilynn, Robert, and Lee-Anne, eventually moved to Pine City, Minnesota, where they embraced a life of farming. Farming helped Bob develop a love for the outdoors and animals, especially horses.

In 1951, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a gunner mate on the USS LST-980; his dedication and commitment to service were second to none. In 1956, Bob married the love of his life, Mary (Koehnen) Nelson, after they met at MN Rubber & Gasket. Bob and Mary had a love story that many people dream of, and this love blessed them with nine children: Barb (Dan), Jimmy (Katie), Gary, Laura (Graeme), David (Charlie), David’s twin brother Allen (deceased), Linda (Rory), Chad (Sammy), and Sarah (Joel). Bob’s family continues to grow, he has thirteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren with another on the way.

Bob’s family was his pride and joy, the cornerstone of life—family was everything to him. Bob’s love for his family is evidenced by his ability to make every family member feel like they were the most special person in the room, he was slow to anger and quick to laugh. There was always room for another place at the dinner table and in his heart.

In addition to a wonderful marriage and raising a beautiful family, Bob had a long, successful career with Happy’s Potato Chips. After retiring from Happy’s, Bob pursued his love of woodworking and had a second career at American Display/Featherlite in their woodshop.

After retiring for good, Bob kept busy spending time with family, playing golf, bowling, woodworking, hunting, fishing, gardening, reading, and watching westerns and sports. Bob always stayed active, and he even surprised everyone recently by finding a passion for paint-by-number and diamond art. He made many art pieces for his loved ones—completing over 55 diamond-art pieces.

May Bob’s legacy of love, dedication, service, creativity, and relationship-first approach to life continue to live on through his family and his good works. Bob was a legend in his own right and to his family—King of the Road!

Bob’s celebration of life will be Thursday, January 11, 2024, at St. Therse of Deephaven, 18325 Minnetonka Blvd, Wayzata, MN 55391.

Livestream of the service will be available at https://www.st-therese.org/live

Visitation from 1:00 - 2:00pm, Mass at 2:00pm with a luncheon to follow.