Obituary of Floyd Oden Nelson

NELSON: Floyd Oden passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at his residence in Fairview Home at the age of 88 years. He was the loving husband of the late Louise Nelson and beloved father of Tannis, Renald and Eric. Floyd, our Dad, was born in Crosby, N.D. to Sigfred and Lena Nelson on March 31, 1925. His Canadian parents moved the family back to Canada and farmed near Outram, SK when Dad was six months old. Drought conditions during the Great Depression caused the family to move to the Lac Vert, SK area and later to Flin Flon, MB. Dad was employed by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting until he joined the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII at age 17. He served two years as Signalman (T.O.) aboard Corvette HMCS North Bay (K339) doing North Atlantic convoy duty and on several other ships after the War. Upon his discharge in 1946, Dad moved to Brandon, MB where his family settled. After completing an Agriculture Diploma at the University of Manitoba, Dad worked on a farm near Prince Albert, SK, and then at the Experimental Farm in Brandon. He was employed at Brandon Mental Hospital as a dining room attendant; Eldorado Mining and Refinery at Great Bear Lake, NWT as a warehouseman; and CNR Express in Edmonton, AB as a copywriter before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1952. Dad served three years, two of them in Germany, as an air radar technician. Upon discharge, he attended Manitoba Technical College and returned to Brandon as a TV technician. He joined Federal Electric in 1957 and, after training in Illinois, was flown to the DEW Line site at Cape Perry, NWT. Dad spent four contracts at various areas of the Arctic coastline before returning to Brandon in 1962. While on leave from the DEW Line, Dad met Mom who worked with his sister, Ruby. Our parents married after a short four month courtship on June 16, 1962 and Dad secured a job as a telephone technician with Manitoba Telephone System (MTS) in Brandon that fall. He was a devoted husband and loving father to Tannis, born in 1964; Renald, born in 1966; and Eric, born in 1968. We have many fond childhood memories of Dad - our annual summer camping trips, swimming, flying kites, riding bikes, and playing board games, catch and hockey with "Flash Floyd." As our family grew, our parents hosted family gatherings with Mom cooking up a storm and Dad, her trusty sidekick, helping with cleanup. Dad was an avid photographer, and he was never without at least one camera over his shoulder and a light meter in hand at all family occasions. He enjoyed being active, cycling to work and jogging regularly - he finished the Manitoba Marathon while in his 50's at the top of his age category. Dad had a lifelong love of music and played guitar, violin, accordion, piano and harmonica by ear. He was on council at Redeemer Lutheran Church and an active life member at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 247. After his retirement from MTS, Dad and Mom spent time travelling to Victoria, BC and to wherever their boys lived across Canada. Dad could also be found in the yard tending to the flower and vegetable gardens with Mom and puttering around his well-organized garage. After a life altering stroke in 2010 and Mom's passing in 2011, Dad moved to Victoria Landing and then to Fairview Home in 2012. He was a gentle man with a wonderful dimply grin and a strong handshake. Dad will be remembered with love and missed terribly. He is survived by his daughter, Tannis (George) in Brandon, MB; sons Renald (Diane) in Trenton, ON and Eric (Karen) in Calgary, AB; and seven grandchildren: Charlean (fiancé, Corey), Chay, Brooklynn and Tanner Nelson in Calgary, AB; and Emilie, Daniel and Erin Nelson in Trenton, ON. He is also survived by his sister, Ruby Nelson in Edmonton, AB; brother, Don (Isla) Nelson in Camrose, AB; sister-in-law Ruth (Morris) Pickering in Winnipeg, MB and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Louise; infant son, David; parents Sigfred and Lena; and sister, Dora Law. A come and go gathering to celebrate Dad's life will be held on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the George Brockie Fellowship Centre at Brockie Donovan, 332 - 8th Street, Brandon. Cremation has taken place and a private graveside service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dad's memory may be made to Prostate Cancer Canada - Western Region, 71 Rocky Vista Terr NW, Calgary, AB, T3G 5G6.