Charles B. Nelson

Charles Browne Nelson, born April 4, 1926 in Farmington, Minnesota, a resident of Bettendorf, died Thursday, February 29, 2008 at the Genesis Medical Center, West Campus, Davenport.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 P.M. Monday, March 3, 2008 at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Chapel, Bettendorf. Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Disabled American Veterans or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Dyed in the wool conservative Republican, card carrying diehard Chicago Cubs fan, and formidable adversary in any political debate, he was the youngest of 5 surviving children of Raymond F. and Alice (Underwood) Nelson.
As a boy of 8, he met his true love, Doris Cameron Whittier while roller-skating at a rink in Farmington. She was 10, and visiting from St. Cloud.
In 1944 he went to work in a dairy to earn money for surgery for himself, eschewing the military deferment a hernia could afford him in order to join all four of his siblings, including his sister, in uniform. It was WWII, and anyone with a backbone served our great country with pride and dedication.
At Great Lakes Naval Training Center, he contracted scarlet fever and was sent to Florida to convalesce. By the time he was well, the war was over. He enrolled in college on the G.I. Bill, and it was at Hamline University in St. Paul, where Dad served as Student Senate President, that he found his lost Skating Rink Sweetheart, Doris. They were married on “the hottest day of the year”, August 17, 1948 in St. Cloud. Ten months and nine days later they were parents. In the subsequent 38 months they had two more children and not very much money and their family was complete.
He moved them to Bettendorf where he bought his “starter home”… He later described the same dwelling as his ”finisher home”. He sold Life Insurance for Metropolitan for 31 years. In later years, he worked in the MasterCard Division of Davenport Bank & Trust Co., and after that served his friend Ken as Maitre D’ of Harold’s on the Rock (River) Supper Club for many years.
He loved to plan a party. When his family was young, he served Pack 80 BSA as Cubmaster, but none of his kids ever went away to camp because he and Doris took them camping themselves. When his youngest was 11, he taught them all to sail, and the lessons learned about “going to weather” have served them well in the bumpy times in life.
Since 1964 Chuck has engaged himself thoroughly in advancing the cause of SAILING as a sport, competition, and soul-rejuvenating personal activity, he served as Senior Race Official at Lake Davenport Sailing Club, and at the Mt. Dora Sailing Club in Florida where he and Doris have spent the last 18 winters sitting in the sun and drinking beer…
He made lots of friends and some enemies everywhere he went, but anyone with any sense respected him as a passionate Man who thoroughly believed in what he believed in. He dearly loved dogs and children.
He is survived by Doris and their three children, Tom, a homeless guy who is a CW5, U.S. Army, Nancy (Howard) Goettsch, Long Grove and Jack (Debbie Burda), Millington, TN. He is also survived by 3 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and his brothers Edward of Riverside, California and Frederick (Marion) of Hemet, California.
We know he’s in the arms of Jesus, where he rests in peace.
He was preceded in death by his brother William and sister Mary.
Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting Chuck’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com