Harold left this world peacefully and quietly on November 8, sitting in his chair looking out at his yard, maybe reflecting on the time spent in his yard, in his pool, at the many BBQs and family gatherings, maybe reflecting on his lifetime spent on the farm in the fields in the dirt beyond the fence. He many times said, “The dirt has been good to me.”
Born into a Danish American family on September 21, 1928, Harold was raised on a farm and grew up working on the farm with his father, Herman Nelson (Knag). He was born just a year before the Great Depression and times were difficult, but his parents were very frugal and worked hard. Through the years they raised alfalfa, cotton, olives, and grapes. His sister, Dorothea, came along in two years and their family was complete. The Nelson kids attended Columbine School where their mother, Thyra Catrine Nelson (Petersen), was a teacher. Harold often told stories of having a pet skunk, Oscar, (which he de-scented) stowed away in his room upstairs, of hanging dead animals in front of his sister’s window to torment her, of accidentally shooting the car door with a shotgun, and riding his horse around the area. Harold attended Delano High School, class of 1946. He had many adventures with his science teacher, Mr. Butts, and was part of building the garden, Little Eden, at DHS. Off to Fresno State Harold went, but he had to hitchhike home every weekend to work on the farm so his last two years of college he transferred to the University of California, Davis, so he wouldn’t have to come home every weekend. He played basketball at Davis and graduated in summer, 1950 with a degree in viticulture. Along the way he met Gloria Bordson at a Fresno State summer school at Huntington Lake and they were married in 1950. Often the Nelson family spent time at Huntington Lake in the Sierras, and Harold and his dad started building a cabin in 1946 which became a precious family legacy where many, many memories were made. It was Harold’s happiest place on earth. After graduation, Harold and Gloria returned to the farm so Harold could help run it with his dad and they could start their family. Cheryl came along followed by Cathy, 20 months later and finally Larry in 1955. The girls often rode around the farm with their dad in his Ford pickup with Duchess, the dog, as Harold irrigated or worked. When cotton was grown, Harold would take his three kids to the field when he was harvesting. They would stand in a cotton trailer and when he would make a sweep with the cotton picker, he would dump the cotton on the kids in the trailer.
Harold always had a heart for community service in Delano. He was always ready to help wherever needed. Harold was active in the Delano Lions Club for 60+ years. He held several positions and became a district 4A2 governor which took him on trips all over California and to Toronto. He made many trips to Ensenada as part of a project to provide glasses and vision screening to the children of the area. He was on the Columbine School Board for 39 years and was always assisting in projects at the school. On one of these projects, he was installing new water lines and had to bend over in a ditch. As he bent over, his pants worked their way down a bit and he became the only school board member in history with “plumber’s crack”. Needless to say, he embarrassed his children, but was an integral part of the Columbine School community. Harold was a member of the Delano Earlimart Irrigation District carrying on the work of his father in gaining water for the farmers in the area. He was also a board member of the Delano Growers Grape Products cooperative where his grapes were sent when harvested. For many years, Harold was board president and made weekly trips to the co-op to sign checks and tease the ladies in the office. Through all his community activities, Harold was known as a jokester, always ready to tell a joke to anyone with a cute twinkle in his eye. He had a million of them. Harold and Gloria were also 2000 Grand Marshals for the Delano Harvest Holidays. Harold was a member and president of the Huntington Lake Association for many years bridging the gap between cabin owners and the forest service.
Harold was a self-made engineer. On the farm, necessity called for being able to fix or make whatever was needed to keep the farm going. His shop was his place of innovation. He was an inventor, welder, machinist, a master at hydraulics. He was involved in developing and selling spray machines, Span Spray, in many areas of the US plus he made many trips to New Zealand for this business. He built his own fork lift, trailers for harvest, and maintained his phone line for many miles for many years. He created a grape picking machine and developed a legendary extension deck for the Huntington Lake cabin using hydraulic rams. He helped with the water system for the Huckleberry Tract cabins at Huntington, installing a famous spiral staircase for access to the water tank. He designed, constructed, and delivered new docks to Huckleberry Tract using his grandchildren, Greg and Melissa, to swim alongside the floating docks to reach their destination. Harold could always figure out a way. He was always thinking about what he could do next. Even in the last months of his life, he would sit and think about a strawberry vacuum harvester or how to clear and plant a field.
In their latter years, before Gloria passed away in 2004, they traveled extensively all over the world. They loved to cruise with friends down rivers in Europe or visit family in Denmark. They were always ready for a new experience. Their friends, the Kuhnses, the Radoviches, the Fortiers, and others spent time exploring with Harold and Gloria. After Gloria was gone, Harold explored Iceland and did two “Around the World” trips by himself. He traveled to Denmark with his girls and China with daughter, Cathy and husband Jeff, and Denmark again with Cathy and new husband, Bruce.
Harold was so very proud of his family. His daughters, Cheryl and Cathy, and his son, Larry, his grandchildren and great grands who called him FaFa. It was a difficult and sad season when Larry passed in January, 1995, leaving a wife and five young children.
Harold will be remembered as a kind, generous man who made a funny noise to entertain the kids. He had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. He was a self-made comedian, loved his community, was always available to help. Harold lived a large life in a small location. He will be so missed by his family and his caregivers, Carlos, Racquel, Hilda, and Clarissa (and Scarlet) who loved him very much.
Harold is survived by his daughter Cheryl Burk; and his daughter Cathy Whiteaker (Bruce Whiteaker); his grandson Greg Burk (Vickie Burk), his granddaughter Melissa Fry (David Fry), his grandson Joseph Sampson (Rakel Sampson), his grandson Nathan Sampson (Joy Sampson), his grandson Benjamin Sampson (fiance Sara Kozakiewicz), his granddaughter Abigail Sandoval (Robert Sandoval), his granddaughter Susannah Watson (Audie Watson), his granddaughter Catrina Smith (Jason Smith), his granddaughter Carissa Kelley (Cory Kelley), his grandson Scott Nelson Burk, his granddaughter Leslie Nelson Burk, his granddaughter Maren Hadar (Ronen Hadar), his great granddaughter Mikaela Stern (Wesley Stern), his great granddaughter Katelyn Burk, his great granddaughter Madison Fry, his great grandson William Fry, his great grandson Carson Fry, his great granddaughter Elizabeth Sampson, his great granddaughter Amanda Sampson, his great grandson Judah Sampson, his great grandson Jaron Sampson, his great grandson Zach Sampson, his great granddaughter Lily Sampson, his great grandson Liam Walker, his great grandson Ryan Sandoval, his great granddaughter Camryn Watson, his great granddaughter Kylie Martin, his great grandson Jakob Watson, his great grandson Kenneth Smith, his great granddaughter Mckenna Smith, his great granddaughter Brooklyn Smith, his great grandchild Cadyn Kelley, his great grandchild Camryn Kelley, his great granddaughter Danielle Hadar and his great grandson Ian Hadar.
Harold was preceded in death by his wife Gloria Bordson Nelson; his son Larry Nelson and his son-in-law Jeff Sampson; his father Herman Truelsen Nelson and his mother Thyra Catrine Petersen; his sister Dorothea Wilkinson.
Services will be conducted by David Fry, his granddaughter Melissa’s husband.
A visitation for Harold will be held Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM at Delano Mortuary, 707 Browning Road, Delano, CA 93215. A chapel service will occur Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, 707 Browning Road, Delano, CA 93215. A committal service will occur Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at North Kern District Cemetery, 627 Austin St., Delano, CA 93215.
Serving as pallbearers are Greg Burk, Joseph Sampson, Nathan Sampson, Benjamin Sampson, Scott Nelson Burk, William Fry, Carson Fry, Judah Sampson and Jaron Sampson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Harold’s name to the Huckleberry Water and Development Association to help with tract restoration at Huntington Lake following the devastating Creek Fire that destroyed the family cabin and 43 others as well.
Huckleberry Water & Development Association
Phil Musson
4736 N. Kittyhawk Ave.
Sanger, CA 93657
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.delanomortuary.com for the Nelson family. Services entrusted to Delano Mortuary, a Dignity Memorial provider.
