Ronald Lee Nelson

Ronald Lee Nelson, 63, of Grants Pass died Nov. 17, 2010, at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Dececember 4 at 1 p.m. at Wonder Bible Church. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.

Contributions may be made to Lori Nelson, 371 S.W. L St., GrantsPass, OR 97526.

He was born July 3, 1947, in Grants Pass to Lester and Verdie Nelson. He grew up in Wonder, where he attended church and played on the Wonder Church baseball team. He attended Wilderville and Jerome Prairie elementary schools and Grants Pass High School. From 1966 to 1968, he served in the Army in Vietnam. He received the Marksmanship Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. After returning home, he worked for the Forest Service and served in the National Guard from 1968 to 1972. He traveled with Blake Carnival for several summers and worked
for SPARC Enterprises for three years. He then worked for Quality Mattress for 12 years. Due to illness, he was forced to retire. In 1970, he married Janie Smith. They had two sons and later divorced. In 1985, he met Lori Allee, whom he married in 1995.

He was a member of the Eagles Lodge and enjoyed karaoke, family gatherings, rafting, camping and watching wrestling matches.

In addition to his wife, survivors include four sons, Ronnie and Charles Nelson and Michael and Curtis Allee, all of Grants Pass; six sisters, Ruth Davis, Mary Christy and Esther Stark, all of Grants Pass, Julia Milner of Klamath Falls, Margaret Shook of Centralia,Wash., and Phyllis Magnusson of Olympia, Wash.; three brothers, Leroy Nelson of Sun Valley, Nev., George Nelson of Olympia, Wash., and Frank Nelson of Sunray, Texas; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.