Harvey Nelson, Jr.

Harvey Leonard Nelson Jr., 87, passed away on June 11, 2016. He was born on December 3, 1928, to Harvey Leonard Nelson and Zora Johnson Nelson on the family farm here in Beeville, Texas. Dad was the second of three children. He had an older sister, Claire Ellen Nelson Wiley, known to us Aunt Sis and a younger sister, Zora Lee Nelson Hardwick, know to us as Aunt Sugar, who both preceded dad in death. Dad was born on the family farm and his wish was to die there as well. My brother, Mark, saw that his wish was granted. Except for a four-year stint in the Air Force and a couple small moves with Union Producing, dad lived his entire life in Beeville. As I said, dad was in the Air Force. He enlisted on September 11, 1950 and was Honorably Discharged in 1954. Until last week, when Mark and I were looking for dad's DD214, his military discharge document, we never knew that he was also in the Texas State Guard. He volunteered at the age of seventeen and served from March 1946, until June 1947, when he was Honorably Discharged because his unit was dissolved. While dad was employed at Union Producing, he met our mom. They were married on December 27, 1950, by Monsignor Palmer, in the rectory of St. Joseph's Catholic Church while daddy was home on leave. Mom once told us that, "Harvey and I were deliriously happy to be together. It never dawned on us to be anything but very, very happy." During their first five years of marriage, they gave birth to three children, Alan Brian Nelson, born September 19, 1951, Mark Randall Nelson, born March 6, 1953 and Karen Nelson Gautney, born on June 22, 1955. When Dad and mom finally returned to Beeville in January of 1956, they settled our family into a home at 506 Marie Place. This was their home for our family until 1977, when they finished construction of a custom designed house on the Nelson family farm property to live out their lives. Dad and mom always stressed religion, family and love of neighbor. They taught us right from wrong, they gave us a strong work ethic and they taught us to take responsibility for our own actions. In addition to his sisters, dad is preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Virginia Krauskopf Nelson; parents, Harvey Leonard Nelson and Zora Johnson Nelson; and brother-in-Law, Ben Wiley. Succeeding dad are his children, Alan Brian Nelson and his wife, Pamela; son, Mark Randall Nelson and his wife, Brenda; and daughter, Karen Nelson Gautney and her husband, Dennis; grandchildren, Kevin Nelson and his wife, Kim, Shawn Nelson, Amber Nelson Rees, Heather Rene Nelson, Jenna Gautney, Jessica Gautney Wofford and her husband, Matthew; great-grandchildren, Jordan Nelson, Skylar Nelson, Brandon Nelson, Brady Owen Rees and Sydney Kate Rees; six nieces and nephews, Charles Johnson, Kyle Krauskopf, Barbara Krauskopf Haymon, Sherry Krauskopf Barrera, Christi Krauskopf Anthony and Steven Krauskopf, along with their spouses and children; and brother-in-law, Bill Hardwick. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 13, 2016, at Galloway & Sons Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Interment to follow at Glenwood Cemetery.

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