Ricard Lee Nelson

This past Monday Ric was reunited with his beloved wife, Renae, in their eternal home. They are survived by their children: Lee, Eric and his wife, Jessy, Jessica and her husband, Brandon, and their grandson, Raiden. Ric is also survived by his parents, Bev and Ralph Nelson, and his brother, Ron and his wife, Vickie. Ric was born at 8:02am on July 4, 1953 in North Dakota but soon moved into the Chisago County area. He graduated from Rush City High School in 1971. He attended Pine City Technical School in 1972 learning Hydraulic Technology then continued into Automotive Technologies. He learned small business basics and computer skills there as well. He continued to learn throughout his life taking classes in electronics technology, programming, locksmithing, management, boiler operation, business leadership, real estate, marketing, investments, and insurance. Ric worked on farms, in landscaping, in a bowling alley, for Plastech, tooling auto parts, fixing autos, as a bouncer, as a trucker, in sales, running a septic service, doing auto painting, as a carpenter, as a supervisor responsible for designing and constructing new equipment and controls, organizing presentations, as a maintenance manager supervising a staff of 9, running a non-profit corporation, customer service representative, insurance salesman, and a multitude of on-line services. He was licensed as a commercial driver, forklift operator, had a boilers license, and insurance producer license. His last job was at Mountain Environmental as a trucker. He volunteered with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts; served on the resource council for East Central Electric, judged Pinewood derbies (serving as the chief judge for 3 years), and served the congregation of St John’s Lutheran church as the chair of the Building and Grounds committee, Sunday School teacher, Council member, original webmaster, and trustee. His hobbies included stamp collecting, HO railroading, comic book collecting, model car building, HO Auto racing, coin collecting, rock collecting, ventriloquism, prestidigitation, hypnosis, 1/25th scale auto racing, woodworking, sea shell collecting, writing science fiction, field racing, collecting useless information (his words), auto drag racing, demolition derby, live western reenacting, computer programming, electronics, leather tooling, auto restoration, Bible studies, glass etching, rope making, historic markers, self-improvement. He was an eclectic person who could not be put in a box. Ric’s priority list for his life was “first God – for there is no other. Then family – which He gave me. Community – where He placed me. Self – where He houses me. Work – which He allows me.” Ric loved inspirational quotes and stories that taught lessons. He was caring, funny, compassionate, loved unconditionally, and was exceedingly proud of what his children had done with their lives, even while he worried constantly about them. He never stopped learning and working to improve himself. He had a deep love of God and all of the Lord’s creation. Ric spent his life working to improve the lives of others. And he did.