Roger Wayne Nelson

Roger Wayne Nelson, age 88 of Goodyear, AZ died January 11, 2020, in Goodyear, AZ. He was born April 7, 1931, in Morris, IL to Willard and Esther (Moe) Nelson. He graduated from Newark High School in 1949. Roger served in the US Air Force Reserve from 1949-1951 before becoming active duty on March 10, 1951 – June 7, 1952. He was a veteran of the Korean War and worked as a mechanic on B36 Airplanes, achieving the rank of Airman Second Class. He married his high school sweetheart, Mildred Taylor in November 1952.

Roger worked as an engineer for Caterpillar for 37 years, often traveling to Japan, Canada, and various US states to discover the specific needs of the different areas so that production processes could be streamlined.   He was a member of the Plano First Lutheran Church in Plano, IL and the Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church in Aurora, IL.

Upon his retirement in 1995, Roger and Mildred moved to the PebbleCreek Community in Goodyear, AZ. They soon became fast friends with their neighbors, forming a group that they titled, “Da Hoods”, complete with their own flag and logo. Roger enjoyed playing golf and attending various community events, including 24 years of performances of his wife’s chorus, The PebbleCreek Singers. He attended the Church of Joy in Glendale, AZ.

Roger loved to travel to see his children and grandchildren no matter where they lived in the world. He traveled to Guam, Hawaii, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, France, and Belgium. He was always eager to visit military historical sites wherever he visited. He was honored to have taken two Tiger Cruises while his son was on active duty in the US Navy. He especially cherished his trip to Stavanger, Norway, his ancestral homeland.   Along the way, Roger collected military hats. He loved to display them as reminders of his adventures.

Roger was extremely proud of his children, grandchildren, and their careers. He was a wonderful and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mildred (Taylor) Nelson; daughter, Vicky (Nelson) Moore and her husband, Mark; son, Roger Wayne Nelson II and his wife, Karen; four grandchildren, Kelly (Moore) Schubert and her husband, Jens, Brandon Moore and his wife, Abby, Ashley Nelson, and Christopher Nelson; and four great-grandchildren, Eric Schubert, Mallory Moore, Carson Moore, and Silas Moore. He was preceded in death by his parents, Willard and Esther Nelson; brothers, Lloyd Nelson, Stanley Nelson, and Willard (Bill) Nelson, Jr.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 am followed by a funeral service at 12:00 pm, Saturday, January 25, 2020, at Gabel-Dunn Funeral Home, 102 S. Johnson Street, Newark, IL 60541. Burial will follow at Millington Cemetery in Millington, IL.  Condolences for the family may be left  Condolences for the family may be left below.