(From Thornhill-Dillon Mortuary) David Forrest Nelson, age 72, passed away to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, December 16th, 2024. He was the son of Forrest and Naomi June (Loughmiller) Nelson.
Born in Joplin, MO, October, 31, 1952, David was a Riverton native and lived there all of his life, with a brief interlude in Great Bend, KS, early in his childhood. He graduated from Riverton High School, then from Pittsburg State University, earning his bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering.
On September 10, 1988, David married Barbara Bendure, the love of his life. They were married for 36 years. They have one son, Anthony. His pride for his family was at the core of everything he did. He took care of his family in innumerable ways, and always with grace and love, with a little (or a lot) of stubbornness thrown in. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend. Known for his generosity, kindness, and selflessness, he was a rock of his family and businesses. Humble, despite his many gifts, and willing to help with anything. He looked out for his family and friends, serving them in too many ways to mention. He especially enjoyed the Christmas season, quietly excited to find gifts for his wife, son, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends. Of course, he would wait until December 24th to go shopping, or December 23rd if he was on the ball that year. Gift giving truly brought him joy.
He was the co-founder, president, and director of engineering of D1 Resources, an engineering, design, and fabrication company. Prior to D1, David worked as an engineer at Hawk Engineering and Doane Pet Care. He then went out on his own and founded Nelson Engineering, later known as NEI, then founding D1 Resources in 2016.
David also owned the Galena Sentinel-Times since 1977. The newspaper was a passion of his. To him it was vital that Galena and the surrounding communities have a local paper (one reason being so people at least had a place to publish an obituary free of charge).
The Weary Publisher, his column in the Sentinel, was an outlet for him to share his love for his family, friends, and community as he chronicled the ups and downs of life. His first experience with the printing industry came when his parents founded Nelson Printing in their home, where he also gave up his bedroom to the new printing press. His parents instilled in him and his siblings a strong work ethic, along with integrity and generosity.
It was not uncommon for David to go into the office at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and work until 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening. Projects took him all over the country, sometimes for months at a time. He had a reputation for being honest in his business dealings, thorough in his work, and for having a tireless drive to have everything done right.
David’s skills and talents extended well beyond his work. A technology whiz with both software and hardware, his millennial son would come to him, a boomer, for computer help. He knew how to run sound equipment, how to work on cars, and could do some electrical work, plumbing, and construction. He had a practical mind, hands-on experience, and the knowledge to solve about any problem. Any time his son had an issue with his house, car, computer, or the like, his dad either knew what to do or would help figure it out. He was a lifelong musician, both as a singer and trombone player. Despite his busy work schedule, David would always sing and play in his brother Scott’s choir and orchestra concerts. He also was a photographer and artist. He was a member of Waco Christian Church in Waco, MO, and a lifelong Christian. The family draws considerable comfort knowing David is with his Lord in Heaven. David lived out his faith in his love for others and in his relationship with the Lord. He and his wife Barbara would always read the Bible before bed, though David often fell asleep before they finished. The congregation at Waco always loved to hear him sing in the service.
David also served his community in many ways. He was a board member of the Route 66 Association of Kansas, served with the Cherokee County Economic Development Committee, and helped with logistics for the Riverton Christmas Parade for many years.
David was preceded in death by his parents, Forrest and June, father- and mother-in-law Jesse and Phyllis Bendure of Waco, MO, grandparents Oscar and Eunice Nelson of Chanute, KS, and Sam and Clara Loughmiller of Parsons, KS, aunts and uncles, cousins Quinby Loughmiller, Sam Loughmiller III, Nelson Elliott, Roger Elliott, Paul Geeding, nephew Greg Arnold, and brothers-in-law Dean Burpo and Steve Arnold.
He is survived by his wife Barbara of Riverton, son Anthony of Wathena, KS, sisters Sara (Jeff) Davis of Riverton, and Jennifer (Kent) Schenker of Oswego, KS, and brothers Steven (Pam) of Tulsa, OK, and Scott Nelson of Riverton, brothers- and sisters-in-law Deanna Arnold, Myrtle Burpo, Harold (Patti) Bendure, Cheryl (Bob) Stark, and Cindy (Howard) Brown, and nieces and nephews Ben (Nicolette) Davis, Beth (Kevin) Nelson, Ryan (Katelyn) Schenker, Travis (Morgyn) Schenker, Rachel (Jon) Reardon, Alex Nelson, Doug (Tonya) Arnold, Matt Arnold, Stephanie (Rick) Agan, Ryan (Hailey) Burpo, Jason Bendure, Logan (Dominique) Stark, Whitney (Jon) Hamilton, Adrienne (Chuck) Engle, and Seth Cunningham, beloved friend and “adopted” daughter Ashley (Seth) Reynolds, many great nieces and nephews, Aunt Kay and Uncle Manucher Ranjbar, and many cousins.
It was not uncommon for David to go into the office at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and work until 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening. Projects took him all over the country, sometimes for months at a time. He had a reputation for being honest in his business dealings, thorough in his work, and for having a tireless drive to have everything done right.
David’s skills and talents extended well beyond his work. A technology whiz with both software and hardware, his millennial son would come to him, a boomer, for computer help. He knew how to run sound equipment, how to work on cars, and could do some electrical work, plumbing, and construction. He had a practical mind, hands-on experience, and the knowledge to solve about any problem. Any time his son had an issue with his house, car, computer, or the like, his dad either knew what to do or would help figure it out. He was a lifelong musician, both as a singer and trombone player. Despite his busy work schedule, David would always sing and play in his brother Scott’s choir and orchestra concerts. He also was a photographer and artist. He was a member of Waco Christian Church in Waco, MO, and a lifelong Christian. The family draws considerable comfort knowing David is with his Lord in Heaven. David lived out his faith in his love for others and in his relationship with the Lord. He and his wife Barbara would always read the Bible before bed, though David often fell asleep before they finished. The congregation at Waco always loved to hear him sing in the service.
David also served his community in many ways. He was a board member of the Route 66 Association of Kansas, served with the Cherokee County Economic Development Committee, and helped with logistics for the Riverton Christmas Parade for many years.
David was preceded in death by his parents, Forrest and June, father- and mother-in-law Jesse and Phyllis Bendure of Waco, MO, grandparents Oscar and Eunice Nelson of Chanute, KS, and Sam and Clara Loughmiller of Parsons, KS, aunts and uncles, cousins Quinby Loughmiller, Sam Loughmiller III, Nelson Elliott, Roger Elliott, Paul Geeding, nephew Greg Arnold, and brothers-in-law Dean Burpo and Steve Arnold.
He is survived by his wife Barbara of Riverton, son Anthony of Wathena, KS, sisters Sara (Jeff) Davis of Riverton, and Jennifer (Kent) Schenker of Oswego, KS, and brothers Steven (Pam) of Tulsa, OK, and Scott Nelson of Riverton, brothers- and sisters-in-law Deanna Arnold, Myrtle Burpo, Harold (Patti) Bendure, Cheryl (Bob) Stark, and Cindy (Howard) Brown, and nieces and nephews Ben (Nicolette) Davis, Beth (Kevin) Nelson, Ryan (Katelyn) Schenker, Travis (Morgyn) Schenker, Rachel (Jon) Reardon, Alex Nelson, Doug (Tonya) Arnold, Matt Arnold, Stephanie (Rick) Agan, Ryan (Hailey) Burpo, Jason Bendure, Logan (Dominique) Stark, Whitney (Jon) Hamilton, Adrienne (Chuck) Engle, and Seth Cunningham, beloved friend and “adopted” daughter Ashley (Seth) Reynolds, many great nieces and nephews, Aunt Kay and Uncle Manucher Ranjbar, and many cousins.
Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 pm Friday, December 20th at Thornhill-Dillon Mortuary at 602 S Byers Ave, Joplin, MO.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, December 21th at Grace Community Church at 6484 SE 70th Street in Riverton, KS. Graveside will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery west of Galena on Highway 66.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Convoy of Hope or Waco Christian Church, Waco, MO.
Funeral arrangements are under the special care and direction of Thornhill-Dillon Mortuary.
No comments:
Post a Comment