Brian Alan Nelson

Brian Alan Nelson was born in Rockford, Illinois on November 29, 1946, the second son of Melvin and Margaret Nelson. At the age of two his mother passed away leaving three children, Melvin Jr., Brian and Vicki, all under the age of four years old. His grandparents were Swedish and had a farm in Cherry Valley, so Brian had a love for farm life, the outdoors, hunting and fishing which he enjoyed throughout his life. He had a group of friends who grew up with him that remained lifelong friends. As boys, they were all challenges to the teachers, and they turned out to be responsible men who became good Christians, including Brian. He attended Trinity Lutheran Church in Rockford during his growing up years where his grandfather, Eben Nelson, and grandmother, Gertie, were some of its earliest members.

Brian’s father, Melvin, remarried a wonderful lady, Phyllis when Brian was about 6 years old. Brian went on a dinner date with them and when his father walked away from the table Brian snuggled up to Phyllis and said, “You’re going to be my new mama.” So the family grew to include one more brother, Terry, and two more sisters, Trina and Trudy.

Brian had dyslexia so school was always a challenge growing up. When he took a state math exam in high school his counselor called him to the office. He told Brian he would be going to college, that there was a great mind in him capable of getting a college degree. It surprised Brian, but that counselor helped Brian get a football scholarship to Glendale College in California where he earned his Associate of Science degree, then went on to play football at Long Beach State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminology.

Following graduation, the Vietnam War was going strong so Uncle Sam drafted him, but his father contacted his congressman and told him Brian would need to be a Marine, just as he had served in the Marine Corps during World War II. Brian graduated from boot camp as the outstanding recruit of his 56-man platoon. After two years in the Marine Corps as a military policeman, Brian returned to Long Beach State to work on his master’s degree. During this time, he went to work for Hawk Industries in Long Beach. Through that work experience, Brian became involved with the oil industry and enjoyed working his entire career in the oil business.

Brian and some work associates moved to Odessa, Texas in the mid-1970s to go to work at Bob’s Casing Crews. He became the manager there and it was there that he first met a substitute secretary, Paulette Stover, in 1980. She and her parents were evangelists who traveled to churches for prayer ministry. Brian invited Paulette to dinner one night, and he told her he was an atheist. When he asked her if he could take her out again, she told him no that she only dated Pentecostal guys. He told her that she hadn’t invited him to church yet. So she did and they saw each other often going to church together. One night there was a powerful service and God spoke to Brian and he went to the altar and gave his heart to Jesus.

Brian and Paulette married in April 1981 at First United Pentecostal Church of Odessa. Their son Eben was born in 1982 and grew up in Odessa where they lived for fourteen more years. Brian’s job opportunities took them to Stephenville in 1997, then to the Houston area and Brian went to work for Tuboscope, where he retired in 2018.

Some of Brian’s greatest joys in life were traveling, spending time at his farm in West Texas, and especially coaching boys’ soccer. Brian was a great mentor to these boys and took a personal interest in them, taking them on camping, fishing, and other adventurous trips around the country. He also mentored many young men in the oil industry, but most of all, he was passionate cheering his son Eben in sports, coaching his soccer team and attending his football games throughout junior high school, high school and college. One of Brian’s greatest joys was when he became a grandfather in December 2015. He loved to wrestle and play with Bennett and go to his soccer games.

Brian was a loyal husband, father, brother and friend. He is preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Margaret Hamilton Nelson, his stepmother Phyllis, his brother, Melvin, and his sister Vicki Harrison. Brian is survived by his wife, Paulette, son Eben and wife, Erin, and grandson, Bennett, of The Woodlands; his brother Terry Nelson of Hayward, Wisconsin, sisters Trina Sims and Trudy Nelson and brother-in-law, Edward Harrison, all of Rockford; his sister-in-law Ruby Stover, of Georgetown; his brother-in-law Jerry Jones of Fredericksburg; his aunt Sarah Rokola and cousin Stephen Webkes of Altadena, California and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Brian’s life will be held at Caney Creek Apostolic Church, Conroe, Texas on Tuesday, November 2, at 10 a.m. Viewing for the family will be Monday, November 1 from 4-5 p.m., and the family will receive guests from 5-7 p.m. at Cashner Funeral Home in Conroe. There will be a military graveside service at the National Cemetery in Houston at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday following the service.