William Dale Nelson

William Dale Nelson, son of the late Floyd C. Tye and Nellie L. Fluesmeier, was born at home in Wellington, Missouri, on July 27, 1944. He died at Mercy Hospital in Lebanon, Missouri, on December 15, 2012. William (Bill) served in the United States Navy from 1962 until 1967. On December 15, 1962, while on boot camp leave, he married Patricia Ann (Pat) Totton, his wife of 50 years. Left to mourn Bill and cherish his memory are Patricia and cat Beckett of the home; siblings: Diana Sims, Teresa Dicavolo, Joe Nelson and Mary Cooper of the Dallas, TX area and Laura Kruse of Holden, MO; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, Pat’s relatives, best friends Betty Lou Richardson and Gail Gilbert, and other faithful friends. He is predeceased by his parents, his grandparents, several aunts and uncles, and his sister Wanda Arbuckle. After the military, Bill owned a Standard Oil Service Station in Kansas City, Missouri, and worked in the plumbing field until he entered college at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri, where he attained a BSE degree with honors and a double major in Social Studies and Industrial Arts in 1977. He became a real estate agent in Warrensburg and Kansas City, Missouri, for a time, taught school at Holden, Odessa, and Wheatland, all in Missouri, and owned and operated a plumbing business in Kansas City. After that, he and Pat dropped out of the economy and lived as far off the grid as possible on a tiny acreage in the Current River Valley in Southeast Missouri for six years. It was a time of increased freedom, imagination, and creativity. Bill re-entered the teaching profession at Laquey, Missouri, for three years, after which he went back into business as creator, owner, and operator of American Tri-Co Plumbing in our local area for twenty years. Bill thrived on the self-direction, freedom, and independence of self-employment. He loved problem solving, fixing things, and building things. Bill was part of the establishment of the Pulaski County Library System, being on the building committee and participating in the tear out and rebuild of the existing building of the Richland Branch and serving as president of the Richland Friends of the Library during the critical years following the change-over from the Kinderhook Library System. He also served for a short time on the Richland Park Board. Bill often gave others a leg up. He fed the birds and was extremely kind to all animals. He protected Pat and took all of life’s difficult and unsavory chores upon himself. He worked hard all his life; he said that is what he enjoyed. Outside of work, Bill’s interests included gardening, wood working, metal work, fishing, reading, music, learning, researching, nature, pets, history, home life, home maintenance (he fixed everything) and much more. Bill requested direct cremation with no services. Pat is organizing a scholarship fund in memory of Bill to benefit a graduating Richland senior who will pursue a career in teaching. Donations to this scholarship fund in memory of William D. Nelson may be made at First State Bank in Richland or St. Robert. Arrangements are under the direction of Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville / St. Robert.

William Dale Nelson

July 27, 1944 - December 15, 2012