JOSEPH H. NELSON

 The following bio was taken from page 328 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

 Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas

 My great-great grandfather, Joshua Nelson (1785-1840), was  a Methodist minister in Salem, New York.  His son, William Fletcher Nelson, my great-grandfather (1817-1883), was a schoolteacher in New York.  He moved to Clayton, Texas and married Louisa Shepherd in 1848.  His eldest son, Joseph H. Nelson, my grandfather (1849-1930), married Amanda M. Davis (1852-1894) in 1867.  He owned a mercantile store in Clayton.

 My father, Joseph Milburn Nelson (1889-1976) was the tenth of eleven children.  My mother, Maude Buckner Nelson (1887-1972), was the daughter of Priscilla Hancock (1860-1927) and Allen Kilgore Buckner (1855-1940).  (See Buckner History.)  There were seven children:  Bertie Mae, Myrtis, Joe Allen, William Paul, Richard Finis, Marjorie Dean and Rex Andrew.

 There are many wonderful memories.  Mama had boundless love not only for her family but for her many relatives and friends.  She always had something to eat for everyone who came to see us – cookies, cakes, pies or meals – depending on the time of day of the visit.  She loved her church and not only read her Bible everyday but lived by it.

 Daddy had a wonderful sense of humor.  Daddy was always supportive of all of us.  He loved accounting work and even enjoyed making income tax returns, something which he did for many years.  For Daddy, decorating at Christmas was always a big deal.  For a number of years we had a big stuffed Santa standing on our front steps, waving at passersby – manipulated by Daddy from an upstairs window.  One year he planned and staged a nativity scene complete with a live donkey.  On December 10, 1935, our home burned and we lost everything except the clothes on our back; but that Christmas we had a Christmas tree in a sparsely furnished rent house and Santa Claus found us.  In less than three months Daddy had a new house built for us on the same lot, 804 North High Street.

 When Joe was three and seriously ill, he wanted to see his pet goat.  The goat was brought into the house and tied to the foot of his bed.  He was happy!

During World War II, I was working in Dallas and could not get home for Christmas.  Mama and Daddy had Christmas dinner for the family at home Christmas Eve and drove to Dallas Christmas Day to have dinner with me at the Baker Hotel.  Joe, Paul, and Dick were serving in the Navy, Air Force, and Army respectively and could not be reached, otherwise I am sure they would have made the rounds to all of us. 

 My work career afforded me the opportunity of living in many places in Texas and Louisiana as well as Washington, D.C. and in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, and of visiting many other areas in the United States and Japan.  And now Skipper and I keep busy trying to do our chores and enjoying life.  Yes, I enjoy decorating for Christmas!

Submitted by Myrtis Nelson