Stephen Douglas Nelson

The absolute love of my life and best friend was accompanied to Heaven by angels where I know he will patiently wait for me in Heaven.

He truly changed my life. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. I never had anyone love me more than he did. I want everyone who reads this to know the man I was so lucky to call my husband.

Intelligent is purely and simply not even close to his IQ and deep insights. There was nothing he couldn’t do.

He started out young in life as a pipefitter, working for Chern, Industrial Piping, Fuel Economy, and Pentagon.

In the early 80’s he was involved in a car accident that left him with a spinal cord injury. But, that didn’t stop him. He retired from the Pipefitters Post 111 then enrolled at Michigan Tech at 38 years old and graduated as a mechanical engineer.

He worked at the Tilden Mine for several years, then took a mechanical engineering job at Mead Paper for several years, and then finally as mechanical engineer at the Board of Light and Power, the Shiras Steam Plant.

He had his boiler licenses and boiler installation licenses, anything under nuclear. He built a beautiful log cabin in Skandia that he truly was proud of – then later built a beautiful home on Sporley Lake where we resided for the past 15 years.

He did all the in the floor heat, oak floors, all the electrical and plumbing by himself, and all oak trim throughout the house, while still working at the BLP.

He treated all people with dignity and respect, and you know he never had an enemy. He loved people, loved to spread his knowledge to many, many people, not in a bragging manner either. Most people that wanted to know something they didn’t know, usually he did.

But the most important thing in his life was his wife, kids, and grandkids who called him Papa. There are no words to describe how he loved them, except with all his heart. He became more crippled from the spinal cord injury as years went by, but I’m telling you he never complained, like he always would say, “I’m still alive”.

He had a deep, deep faith in God and Jesus. No one could ever shake that faith, no one.

It was like a love and deep peace that he wanted everyone to have, so he wanted to pass it on. Anyone that knew him should consider themselves blessed.

I quote like one of his sons said as he was passing away, “he taught me how to be a man”. I thank God and I thank Steve for being the greatest husband a woman could ever have had, and a father, and papa. I don’t think anyone looks forward to dying because we leave behind those we love until we see them in Heaven, but that’s the gift of believing in Jesus, eternal life with those we love.

Steve is survived by his wife, Denise Nelson; three sons, David (Jenna) Nelson and Jake (Melissa) Nelson, Glen Pittman; three daughters, Heather (Greg) Mannisto, Sabrina (Clint) Tyner, Rachael (Don) Shope; grandkids, Paavo, Lucy, Tuuli, Stormy, Gunner, George; Steve’s mother, Florence Nelson; his siblings, Tim (Linda) Nelson, Jeff (Shelly) Nelson, Debra (Pete) Honer, Melissa (Stephen) Mercer; many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jack; and daughter, Bethany.

Visitation will be held at Bethel Baptist Church on Tuesday, September 15, beginning at 5:00 pm until the time of service at 6:00 pm. Pastor Hank Steede will officiate. Those attending are asked to wear a mask.

Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com