His paternal lineage: ROY⁴ VERNON NELSEN (Christian³ Nels² Nelsen, Casper¹ Nielsen)

ROY VERNON NELSEN (81 ) b. Jan 16, 1919 Kenmare, ND d. May 28, 2000 Rohnert Park, CA Cause of death brain cancer. m. Macon, Georgia Dec. 26, 1945 to Ida May Powell Brown daughter of Olaf Raymond Powell (1885-1978) and Eva Eliza Van Wagoner (1887-1961) of Utah.

Roy was the seventh of nine children (Ezera, Helen, Walter, Alice, Arthur, Robert, Roy, Anna, Kenneth) born to Christian Nelsen and Anne Elizabeth Christensen of Kenmare, ND. He grew up in Kenmare, where he graduated from high school.

Roy was a WWII veteran. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force during World War II for 2 years in the China-Burma-India theater and 3 years in Japan after the war.

In March, 1953 Roy, a Major, was stationed in Gulfport, Mississippi, at the TTAF which supervised activities of the 10 major USAF technical and military training bases, Roy and family next lived in Wyoming, Alabama, Oklahoma and Georgia, Then they moved to Turkey where he received the Air Force Commendation Medal for meritorious service while he was Chief of Motorized Equipment Section, Joint U.S. Military Mission for Aid to Turkey during the period of July 5, 1958- June 7, 1960 from Turkey they moved to Colorado Springs, CO. Roy retired from the military in 1963. Then he had a second career with a Title Insurance Company and retired in 1981.

Roy retired in 1964 in Rohnert Park, CA. He was an active member of the Cross & Crown Lutheran Church in Rohnert Park. His belief in God was very important to him. He left a legacy of hard work, honor, staying connected to family and true unconditional love .

His six grandchildren (Lars, Kim, Amber Nelsen and Kyle, Jordan and Kelly Plyler) were his pride and joy and lived close-by. Roy and Ida's children are Kent Spencer (Connie) Nelsen and Kristine Nelsen (Dennis) Plyler.

Sources:
Obituary of Roy Nelsen
Descendants of Lars and Louisa Christensen complied by Evelyn Rowe Nelson