Cleo H. Nelson

Cleo H. (Clark) Nelson passed away on February 8, 2022, in McCammon, Idaho. He was born in Wendell,  Idaho on July 16, 1934, to Nels Daniel Nelson and Hannah Lillis Farnworth. He is survived by his wife  Beverly and his daughter Nancy. He was preceded in death by his first wife Barbara May, his son Scott,  his parents, four sisters, Eva Lillis, Sheila May, Pearl La Priel, and June Florence and two brothers Elvoid  Daniel and Rex B. He is survived by four grandchildren from his first marriage, children, and  grandchildren from his second marriage.

He grew up on an 80-acre farm near American Falls, Idaho. His  family moved to Lava Hot Springs in his sophomore year of school. After he graduated from North  Marsh High School in 1952, he joined the Air Force. He married Barbara May Kendrick January 16, 1955.  After the Air Force he attended college in California and got his teaching certificate and master’s degree  in education. He taught school in Monterey Park and Fresno California for more than 20 years. After his  retirement from teaching school in Fresno he lived on 40-acres in Brown’s Valley, California. He kept  busy improving his house and land and taking different jobs. These jobs included topping Christmas  trees, message therapy, irrigation water manager and road construction. One of those jobs was teaching  school on the Indian Reservation in Tuba City, Arizona for three years. He loved it. He moved to Council,  Idaho in 2003 and became a caregiver for his first wife who became a quadriplegic due to a traffic  accident. Barbara died in 2013. He married Beverly Ware on July 4, 2014. He knew Beverly since high  school. When his health began to decline the families moved them from Council to Lava Hot Springs and  eventually to McCammon.

His hobbies included bicycling, hiking, playing guitar, banjo, and piano, collecting rocks and he  developed a skill creating sculptures. He was the featured artist at the Yuba City, California’s annual  Prune Festival one year.

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was baptized in the  Snake River when he was 8 years old. He held a variety of positions, Bishop’s Counselor, High Priest  Group Leader and taught different age groups.

Special thanks go to Beverly and her family for their loving care and support of Cleo.