Robert L Nelson

Bob was born in Tioga, North Dakota, on April 25, 1917, and passed away on November 11, 2015, due to congestive heart failure. He was one of six children. He married Amber Murer in 1935, who predeceased him.

Bob worked as a lumberjack in Kalispell, Montana, where he built and ran his own sawmill. He and Amber moved to California in 1943, where he continued in the lumber business, building and operating the Casa de Oro Lumberyard through the early 1950s. He built another sawmill in Dehesa, California, and after operating it for a short time, sold it and went into general construction work until his retirement.

Throughout Bob's 98 years, he had a great love and passion for country music, and having perfect pitch, he played the guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin by ear. Even in his final days of fighting dementia, Gramps could entertain all of us by playing a song on his well-used guitar! Bob was an avid reader of the "Old West" and the Indian wars, and he was devoted to reading the Scriptures in the Bible.

Bob had one daughter (Baby Dee), who passed away in 1945. He is survived by his son, Elmer (wife Linda) of El Cajon; step-son, Hal Schafer (wife Donna) of Columbia Falls, Montana; sister, Doris O'Brien of Mill City, Oregon; three grandchildren (Kathy Thill, Jill Eidsmoe and Rob Nelson) of San Diego County; six great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a private memorial service. The family wishes to thank the Alpine View Lodge in Alpine, CA, for all the loving care they provided Bob in his final weeks. The family requests that donations in Bob's memory be made to the Alzheimer's Association of San Diego, 6632 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA , 92111, Attn: Gloria Baker, 1-858-966-3307.