Arnold Nelson Obituary

Arnold Eugene Nelson, 95, was born March 26, 1918 in Sidney, to Ellen Stokke Nelson and Nels Kjerschow Nelson Fjare, who later dropped Fjare from his name.

The family homesteaded at Horse Creek near Cartwright, N.D., until his father, Nels, or NK, passed away from leukemia in 1922. "Mother Nelson," as we all knew her by, raised seven children – Annie Nelson (Mahlum), Pearl Nelson (Beaupre), Barney, Oscar, Arnold, Olga and Selmer – by herself in the badlands of North Dakota. The family later moved to Springdale in 1930.

Arnold spent a mischievous life in and around the Springdale/Big Timber area. He once hopped a stock train to Chicago for the World's Fair at the age of 13 without telling his mother. He worked on various ranches and worked as a baker, later enlisting in the Navy and was honorably discharged in 1946 after his tour in World War II.

Arnold had two children, Arnold David Nelson and Darlene Pearl Nelson. Darlene passed away in 1962. He married Pansy L. Hogstad on Nov. 20, 1953, and they lived together in the family home in Livingston.

After working as a boilermaker for the railroad, he worked for Chan Libbey Sr. at Cardinal Distributing in Livingston and later in Bozeman. He proudly drove Budweiser beer trucks until his retirement in 1981.

Arnie, as his friends called him, loved to hunt and fish with his dear friends Bill Nash, Don Stermitz, Mark Wesen and David Rust. He is now doing all the things he loved with Bill and Don, who preceded him to the happy hunting ground.

Arnold passed away Dec. 17, 2013, in Livingston, leaving behind his loving wife, Pansy; his son, David (Shirley); his granddaughter, Margie; and great-grandson, Rock. He was the center of their universe and a wonderful and wise mentor.

Services will be held Saturday, Dec. 28, at 1 p.m., at Livingston Christian Center.

Arnold leaves behind numerous friends and relatives, including nieces and nephews, great-nieces and -nephews, step grandchildren and step great-grandchildren, who will all miss him dearly ... he was a keeper!

Keep your powder dry, Arnie!