Byron Nels Nelson

Byron Nels Nelson, 69 passed away January 27, 2016. He was born on November 11, 1946 in Turtle Lake, North Dakota, the son of Virgil & Evelyn (Granlie). He is survived by his son Paul his daughter Kristine, his grandchildren Tyler, Whitney and Hannah and his brother Eldon.

Byron attended elementary and high school in Minot, North Dakota. In high school Byron focused on auto mechanics. On weekends during high school and after graduation Byron worked for an auto body shop in Minot North, Dakota.

Because of the lack of work in Minot, he moved to the Denver area with his father Virgil in June of 1965. They lived with the “Coles” family who also moved from North Dakota in 1964. Both he and his father found work building carnation greenhouses. From 1967 to 1968 he worked as a janitor for Denver Public Schools. On April 25, 1969 he married the girl he grew-up with, Josephine Ann Coles. From 1968 thru 1970 he worked doing various odd jobs. In 1970 he was hired as a lineman for Sturgeon Electric. In 1976 he started working for his brother-in-law Jim Jackson doing remodels. In the early 80’s he worked for and learned carpentry from his neighbor Bill Decker. After Bill passed away, Byron was hired by the Alsun Brothers as an interior trim carpenter. While working for Bill and the Alsun’s Byron met a man named Jim McNerny. Not wanting to continue as a sub-contractor Byron was hired by Jim to be a carpenter for his company. Byron worked as a carpenter for Jim for over thirty years. As Byron would say, “they were two friends who together got paid to pursue their passion of changing people’s environments”. Byron loved carpentry; it truly was his passion. He was proud of the quality of his work and he took great satisfaction in seeing people’s reactions to something he worked so hard to create. He loved making people happy that way.

Byron was the type of guy that even if he wasn’t at work he was working on something. He freely gave of his time to family and neighbors doing all kinds of different projects. He was the ultimate handyman, able to repair or fix almost anything. For relaxation he would enjoy a “cold one” while watching NHRA Drag Racing, Barrett-Jackson Auto Auctions and Broncos football.

In 2012 Byron was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer. This diagnosis did not slow him down he approached cancer by saying “this is the doctor’s problem not mine” and he continued working as a carpenter while undergoing treatments until mid 2015. He courageously fought cancer like no other. Thanks to Lord he entered into eternity on January 27, 2016. Byron was a tough, independent, intelligent, simple man who loved helping others and was a joy to be around. He will be forever remembered for wonderful person he was and he will be deeply missed by those who loved him.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the

Lisa Nelson Memorial Scholarship.

Donations can be made at any Chase Bank

or www.lisanelsonmemorialscholarship.org

Eulogy read by family at Byron's service:

Everyone that came in contact with my dad was most likely victimized by a redneck joke or two. Each morning he would peel off the daily joke from his redneck joke calendar and shove it in his pocket to share with others. In was not uncommon for him to have a weeks worth of jokes in his front shirt pocket and unload them all on some poor un-expecting individual. Family, friends, clients, and vendors no one was immune from hearing him tell at least one. Some were funny and some were horrible. My daughter Whitney told me last week that many times she gave grandpa a “courtesy laugh” so that she didn’t hurt his feelings. I always told people I introduced my dad to “please don’t laugh at his jokes it only encourages him”.

In honor of him, I would like to tell one more redneck joke this morning:

“You know you’re a redneck if you request to be buried in your 4-wheel-drive truck because “It ain’t never been in a hole it couldn’t get out of.”

We all know Byron was an amazing carpenter. He built so many beautiful things. He also was an amazing man. I want to take a minute or two to reflect on his life and highlight the relationships he built and how he measured up as a person.

The Relationships Byron “Built”

Byron was a terrific dad. While we were growing up he worked extremely hard to make sure our family’s needs were continually met. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for us. After my mother passed away in 2000 the bond between the three of us grew even stronger. As we grew and had our own families he was always there to lend a hand; he loved Lisa, Tyler and the Schamp family as well as Rick and the Wynne family.

Helping Paul…

I can’t count the times he came over to my house to help me with projects. I would call him up and ask him “have you eaten yet, if not, come on over and help me and Lisa and I will fix you a meal”. He always came over and gave me a hand. He would drop whatever he was doing to help me out. I have a hunch he was so receptive to coming over because he was sick of the “Hungry Man” tv dinners he always consuming. Anyway, I loved having him over and I would call him regularly. After this went on for some time, he jokingly said “I’ll be over and I will bring my will work for food sign with me”. I will forever cherish the times I spent with my dad working on different projects around the house.

Helping Kristine…

What my father did for my sister and her career aspirations to be an animator is amazing. He would work during the day and on nights and weekends he would help her in her quest to obtain a bachelor’s degree in animation and a master’s degree in industrial design. Together they would work on projects that my sister said just about killed him, because of the size of the project and the time frame in which it needed to be done. At the conclusion of the project he would grab a beer or twelve to celebrate and he would say, “I would do it again”. My dad helped Kristine develop confidence and that has propelled her through so many doors. I know when she lands that Pixar job someday, he will be so proud of her for her determination and her perseverance.

Beloved…

Byron was a beloved brother, uncle and grandfather and neighbor. He loved his brother Eldon, Eldon’s wife Pat and their children Laura and Lynn. He adored being a grandpa and he reserved a special place in his heart for Tyler, Whitney, Chandler and Hannah. Every time he would see them he would offer a hug, an encouraging word and a redneck joke. He loved his neighbors, especially John, and would do anything for any one of them.

My Dad always put family first and he demonstrated that throughout his entire lifetime. Our memories of him are ones that will always remind of us of what a kind and loving man he was.

Carpentry…

In the early 80’s Byron started working for a contractor named Jim McNerny. Jim and Byron became good friends and they were a team for well over thirty years. Together they completed some amazing projects all over the Denver metro area. They specialized in remodeling and were known for their tremendous custom work. My dad loved working as a carpenter for Jim because of the way Jim treated him and because of the variety of jobs Jim would land and challenges each one presented.

Byron loved carpentry it was his passion. He always told me he was lucky to pay the bills and work at something that he was passionate about. He was a master of his craft and it showed in the quality and precision of his work. He was an old school carpenter. He was so meticulous about things that he sharpened his own saw blades and drill bits by hand and made his own jigs and shims. Those that were lucky enough to have him do some work in their homes were blown away by the environments he transformed. It was that reaction that fueled his fire. He enjoyed the satisfaction of making people happy through the beautiful work he did.

Bigger than the work Byron did as carpenter are the relationships he built with clients and his colleagues. Byron loved the people he worked for and the ones he worked with. He frequently mentioned clients, especially repeats ones and he always talked about Jim, Earl, Eldon, Jim Maharis, Dick and Riff. He loved and respected all of you wonderful men. I want to thank you guys for being such great friends to my dad and thank you for the support you gave him and our family during his battle with cancer.

Byron’s Battle with Cancer

Byron was diagnosed with cancer in the beginning of 2012. Over the past four years he endured countless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation treatments and numerous medical procedures. He handled cancer the way he handled life; head on with toughness and independence. He wasn’t intimidated or frighten and he refused to let cancer keep him from doing the things that he loved. During his battle he drove himself to the majority of his chemo treatments and even hand dug a sprinkler system for his house. He continued to work for Jim until October of last year. He had to stop working because his strength began to fade. Although he never said anything, I know that crushed my Dad. He loved his profession and loved to work with his hands.

At the end of 2015, were fortunate enough to spend another holiday season with him. As the new year unfolded his health declined. Kristine and I placed him in Collier Hospice on Monday January 25th and he passed away Wednesday January 27th. As I reflect on the short time he was in hospice it didn’t surprise me a bit. He did most of his dying at home with Kristine and Hannah at his side without intervention. That’s just another example of how tough and independent he was. I am so proud of him and the way he handled the diagnosis of his cancer, the way he bravely fought it, the way he continued to live his life with it, and the way he chose to die because of it.

How Did Byron “Measure” Up As A Person?

My dad wasn’t perfect but he was an amazing man. He measured up admirably as a father, brother, uncle and grandfather. He was kind, thoughtful, loving, down to earth, and funny. He was a man of his word and a man of character. He was a simple independent strong man who lived a simple life.

Thanks to Jesus Christ, Byron also measures up in the eyes of God. It’s a good thing we don’t have to depend on a 4x4 redneck truck to empty out our graves. Praise God for his son and for what was freely given to Byron!!!

Byron-Will Be Missed

Please celebrate his life with us today, remember the relationships he built, his imagination and creativity, the battle he fought and the way he measured up as a person here on earth and in eyes of our father. Celebrate with us today that he is in heaven with our risen lord and savior. Celebrate that we too will see him again.

Rest in peace Dad! I love you and I am proud and honored to be your son!