Harry Raymond Nelson (Ray Nelson)

Harry Raymond Nelson (Ray Nelson) of Cadillac on the evening of April 5, 2014 walked his final parade route into the welcoming arms of the Lord Jesus Christ with his wife of 62 years by his side. He was 86. Ray was born on February 24, 1928 in Greenville, Michigan and was soon placed into the arms of Harry R. Nelson and his wife Eva (Cooper) Nelson of Cadillac. He led an idyllic life as a small-town American boy. The lakes, the streams, the woods were his places to be. He knew Lake Mitchell like a book and he could catch a dinner's worth of walleyes on Lake Cadillac any time it was needed. Later he became an expert fly fisherman with pictures to prove it! He loved to hunt partridge and pick berries. In 1946, after graduating from Cadillac High School Ray enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Korea where he served until his discharge in 1948. In the fall he enrolled in Ferris Institute, where he planned to get a degree. Fate intervened when in the fall of 1950 he received marching papers to report for active duty and was sent to Korea again. There he served in combat duty until he was discharged in October of 1951. Once back home he eventually graduated from Ferris and began a teaching career of 34 years, mostly in the Chippewa Hill School system and retired in 1985. In addition to his church and his family Ray considered the Cadillac Area Honor Guard the most important work of his life. His father was a WW I veteran and the American Legion was the second home of all American Veteran, so it was natural for him to want to perpetuate the need for all local veterans to have proper last rites. Ray felt he was leaving the guys in good hands. On June 7, 1952 in Cadillac Ray married the former Betty M. Dillon and they were blessed with three children: Susan Nelson (Brian France) of Okemos, Daniel (Sue) Nelson, newly of Cadillac, and Rebecca (Richard) Arnett of Denver, CO. And the best part, the grandchildren: Ryan Nelson of Conway, Ark, Katelyn Arnett of Boulder, CO, and Jaclyn Nelson of Grand Rapids. Also added to the family are Eric and Michelle Lopez and their four children: Cristian, Payton, Sophia and Gabriel of Grand Ledge and Jim Masseau of Virginia Beach, VA and his daughter, Hadley of Lansing. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, April 10, 2014 at the Peterson Funeral Home in Cadillac with Reverend Kenneth Pastotnik officiating and full military rites under the auspices of the Cadillac Area Honor Guard. Burial will be at Maple Hill Cemetery in Cadillac. Friends may meet the family from 2-4 and 6-8 PM Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cadillac Area Honor Guard or First Christian Church. An online guestbook is available at www.petersonfh.com.

Harry Raymond Nelson (Ray Nelson)

February 24, 1929 - April 5, 2014