Patricia Ann Nelson

     Patricia Ann Nelson, age 83 of Broken Bow, NE passed away Thursday, September 19, 2019, at Brookestone View in Broken Bow, NE.

     Patricia Ann Nelson was born on January 14, 1936 to Jay Edward and Hazel Juanita Tiff in Dutchman Valley in a house which is no longer there but was right next to Highway 70, about 7 miles east of Broken Bow.  Ed and Hazel had a stillborn baby girl named Lorraine Carol in 1939.  Pat’s parents later settled in the Round Hill community at the Johnson place, two miles east of Buckeye Corner, southeast of Broken Bow about 20 miles.  Ed and Hazel added Sandra Jean to their family in March 1942.  Pat grew up in the Round Hill community and went to school at Round Hill until third grade, where she met the love of her life, Leland Nelson.   Ed and Hazel moved to their long-standing farm and ranch home two miles further east in 1942.  Pat finished fourth through eighth grade at Valley View School near their home.

     Pat went to high school in Broken Bow and boarded every night with a family in Broken Bow.  Pat graduated in 1953 and took the two summers of 1953 and 1954 getting teacher training at Kearney Teacher’s College.  Pat taught a one room country school (District 20, Burr Oak) for the two (1953-1955) school years. 

     Pat and Leland were engaged in the fall of 1954 and married on December 19, 1954 at the United Brethren church in Broken Bow.  For their honeymoon they drove a 1951 Chevy to Georgia, the Gulf Coast, and came home through Oklahoma.  They paid for the entire honeymoon with Pat’s $259 paycheck for the prior month and had $10 left over.

     Pat and Leland made a home on the farm 18 miles south of Broken Bow in a trailer house next to Leland’s parent’s home.  Alan Craig was born in March 1956.  In 1957 the young family moved into that same house Leland’s parents had moved out of.  Loree Pamela was born in March 1958, Keri Lee was born in January 1960, and Wendel Paul was born in July 1961.  This family attended Burr Oak Church, where Leland and Pat had accepted the Lord during revival meetings in 1960.

     Pat was a loving and helpful farm wife, making a great home for the family as an excellent cook, raising a huge garden and canning a lot of it, and raising and putting 200 chickens in the freezer every year.  She also kept a daily journal and a lot of farm records, including keeping track of the day Leland had put the bull in with the cows.

     William Joseph was adopted into the family in 1972 – Leland and Pat love him with Jesus’ love the same as the rest of us. 

     Pat made sure the kids got the best education available, doctored them when sick, made sure they learned to swim and drive, and most of all, that the kids accepted Jesus as Savior and learned to love Him through Sunday school, church, Vacation Bible School, and summer camp at Homeward Trail.  Pat and Leland attended Burr Oak church while the children were home, but in later years attended Broken Bow Evangelical Free Church and have for the last fifteen years attended the Faith Bible Fellowship.

     Pat developed interests in counted cross stitching and later became passionate about genealogy.  She and Leland researched all branches of their families and documented family trees of many thousands of relatives.  Later she started in on more distant relatives and even general acquaintances in Custer County.  Pat and Leland also volunteered at the Custer County Historical Society and have contributed 100,000 names in family tree format.

     After Leland retired, they traveled to visit children and family reunions, National Parks and other scenic areas, but mostly kept up the four acres they lived on as an oasis of flowers, greenery, and garden produce.  Fourteen grandchildren were born between 1984 and 1999, the majority of which are now married and producing a couple of great grandchildren a year.   Pat and Leland have four great grandchildren and are expecting two more by early November.

     Pat is preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Hazel Tiff, an infant sister Carol, and sister Sandra McCullough.  She is survived by husband Leland Nelson, and 5 children with families.  The surviving children are Alan and Marcia Nelson of Fort Collins, CO, with their children Stephanie and Alex Schick of Milliken, CO, Greg and Mel Nelson of Highlands Ranch, CO, and Kim Nelson of Fort Collins, CO;  second child Loree and David Hegr of Lincoln, NE, with children Marisa Kibbie and Terry Haverkost of Lincoln, NE, Taylor and Katie Kibbie of Lincoln, NE and great-grandson Oliver Kent, and Vanessa and Andrew Thomas and great-grandson Larson Leland;  third child Keri and Scott McClellen of Valentine, NE, with children Kyle and Kelsey McClellen of Lincoln, NE, and great-granddaughter Atley Belle, and Erika and Dave Gingerich of Marysville, OH and great-grandson Westin Scott; fourth child Wendel and Carli Nelson of Omaha, NE, with children Jeff and Blair Nelson of Omaha, NE, Jon Nelson of Bogota, Columbia, Anna and Spencer Wheeler of Omaha, NE, and Amy Nelson of Maryville, MO; fifth child William Nelson of North Platte, NE, with children Christopher and Carmen Nelson of Hays, KS, and Kersten and Kyle Shefcyk of Duncan, NE.  Pat is also survived by her brother-in-law Don McCullough and wife Marlyn, and two sons with families.  Don’s sons are Lonnie and Cindi McCullough, with their children Jessica and Anthony Kulhanek of Broken Bow, NE, and Justin and Kelsey McCullough of Broken Bow, NE; second son Scott and Lori McCullough of Broken Bow, NE, with their son Logan of Hastings, NE.

Funeral services will be Saturday, September 21, 2019, at 10:30 am at the Berean Bible City Campus Church at 604 South H Street Broken Bow, NE with Pastors Bob Winn and Scott McClellen officiating. Burial will follow in the Broken Bow Township Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Homeward Trail Bible Camp or Nebraska Children’s Home. Visitation will be Friday, September 20, 2019, 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Berean Bible City Campus Church at 604 South H Street Broken Bow, NE. Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.govierbrothers.com.