C. David Nelson
August 11, 1936 - June 19, 1999Reflections from his wife Caryl Nelson.
As C. David’s wife, the greatest legacy he left to me is our three sons, Carl, Rolf and Thor. Carl and Rolf attended Macalester, graduating in 1993 and 1995, respectively. Thor chose Hamline, graduating in 2000.
If there is one word I would use in describing David, it would be integrity. His life was a sermon, as someone at his wake said. He lived what he believed. The second most distinguishing thing about him was his sense of humor. To David, everything had a funny side, and I could never stay mad at him for very long because sooner or later, he would say something you had to laugh at.
His sudden and unexpected death has left a huge hole in our lives and in our hearts, but his memory will always be with us — in a sunset over the lake, a joke shared, a walk in the woods. A poem “On Loan” (an old Aztec Prayer) expresses how brief and how precious life is:
Oh, only for so short a while you
Have loaned us to each other,
Because we take form in your act
Of drawing us,
And we take life in your painting us,
And we breathe in your singing us.
But only for so short a while
Have you loaned us to each other.
David’s profession was the law and he was very good at it. He loved the challenge of being a small-town lawyer and the interesting people he came in contact with, and the stories he had to tell should have been written down. He was in private practice and also served as County Attorney a number of terms. He had retired a short time before he died.
Thank you for this opportunity to share something of David’s life.