Clear, 63° F
(Aug. 17, 2004)
Funeral Mass will be celebrated for Richard D. Nelson, 69, of Lovell, Friday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lovell. Mr. Nelson died at his Lovell home Tuesday, Aug. 17 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Co-celebrants at the funeral Mass will be Father Pete Johnson and Father Eckley Macklin. Rosary will be said tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m., with a eulogy, visitation and sharing of memories following.
He was born to Christian and Rose Nelson in Aberdeen, S.D., on March 10, 1935, and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1953. He served in the U.S. Army with assignments in France and Germany. Upon his return, he attended and graduated from Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen in 1960 and began his teaching career of 35 years.
Rich and Dorothy Schlecht were married on Nov. 3, 1956, in Aberdeen. They moved to Cowley in 1965 where he was the elementary principal. The family moved to Lovell in 1967 where he worked as a teacher and coach. He was well known in athletic circles as he coached middle school and high school teams. He retired in 1995.
He was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He served as president of the parish council and at the time of his death was a Eucharistic minister.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Elks Club, North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center Board of Directors and the Ethics Committee of North Big Horn Hospital. He had previously served on the Town of Lovell Planning and Zoning Board and the board of the Powell Country Club and Golf Course.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; sons, Stuart and wife Kathy of Wheatland, and David and wife Renee of McKinney, Texas; daughters, Patricia Nelson of Cheyenne, and Susan and husband Brian Green of Lovell; 11 grandchildren, Shandi and Cassie Sessions of Cheyenne, Katie, Nicole and David Nelson of Wheatland, Kylie, Eric, and Niki Nelson of McKinney, Texas, and Kayla, Stephanie and Beau Green of Lovell. He is also survived by one great-grandchild, Bryson Sessions of Cheyenne.
Memorials may be sent to the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, P.O. Box 385, Lovell, WY 82431, the North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center, 757 Great Western Avenue, Lovell, or to the charity of choice.
