Col. Joseph A. Nelson

Art "Alpha Golf" Friend received this from the Colonel's daughter Sue.

This is Sue Nelson Sauer writing you for my daddy, Col. Joe. He had such a problem with congestion, that he was put in ICU at the hospital last Sunday where they put a special mask on him to force 100% oxygen into his lungs. The Pulmonary Specialist said that he does not have pneumonia, but that his muscle weakness has moved into his chest area, so that he is not able to breathe effectively anymore, nor cough up phlegm, though his diaphragm is working. He was unable to talk or respond to anyone. Thursday, quite a few people converged on the hospital to see him, several of us by plane: all three children, two granddaughters and his first great-grandson plus many others. God gave him a respite where he was able to be oxygen-stable, responsive and clear enough to speak with each one without the mask! ICU even let him see his great-grandson and we got pictures. He really "lit up" when meeting little William Bedford, who is almost 6 months old.
When Mother and I came in about 4pm she was a little bit behind me, but he fixed his gaze on her. Even though his voice was quiet, he said, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me." Mother heard "beautiful" and said, "Sue, he's talking to you," and I said, "No, he's speaking to you." I went over to the other side of his bed and he kept looking at her and said, "I have loved you since you were five years old, and if I had it to do all over again, I'd still marry you." They confessed their love to each other and Mother wept. He had time with each of us from 3 - 9pm, as we each arrived by air or car, plus quite a few friends came too. While we were with him, he got a twinkle in his eye and told Mother, "Tell Velma Bowman that I outlived her cat!" (Blackie died about 2 weeks ago.) That gave us a laugh. Imagine him thinking to say that! He also told Mother, "It'll be hard to be away from you for awhile! I'll be peeking over the clouds till you get there." I told him he'd be outside of time in eternity, so it wouldn't be long at all from his perspective till we get to be there!
Anyway, we left to go home to sleep. His last visit was Dan who came in at 7pm. After 9, Daddy had a nap. When he awoke, he told his nurse Thu (Vietnamese Christian) that he was surprised to wake up in the hospital again and told her that he's ready to go and told her that it didn't matter to him if he went on without anyone around him. She told him, "NO. You need your loved ones around you." He soon started breathing like a fish out of water as he'd done starting Sunday (though he'd had intermittent problems the weeks before at home) and she did what she could to stabilize him with oxygen through a mask plus medicine for his heart-beat. Thu called us at 2:30am to tell us to come. We arrived about 3:15 and surrounded his bed. He was unresponsive, but we sang his favorite hymns, read Scripture and talked to him, rubbing his hands and feet. Little by little, he slipped away so peacefully, and he was gone by 6:15am. There were tears and hugs and kisses, but we have such peace that he's now "walking and leaping and praising God" like the paralytic in the Book of Acts who was healed at the Gate Beautiful of the Temple in Jerusalem. He leaves a BIG hole here, but as you know, he left an investment of time and interest in each of our lives that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Arrangements are thus: burial at a family plot at a cemetery in Kenbridge, VA on Sunday. Viewing begins at 1pm at Clarke's Funeral Home, a service will start at 2pm. Afterwards, active duty U.S. Marines will take over and see his body through to burial with a 21 Gun Salute, and Taps with a bugler. We'll take all the Marines and others back to Aunt Nancy's for food and fellowship.
Back in Havelock, Monday at 6pm, a Memorial Service is planned at Faith Evangelical Bible Church, 8170 Hwy 70, Newport, NC 28570. Afterwards, there are refreshments for a time of fellowship. If you want to send anything for the family, the request is to please send something to the church, as we don't need any more flowers or food. Thanks so much!
Peacefully,
Sue Sauer.
There are several obituaries in several local papers, but one you can check is:
www.newbernsj.com
Daddy's Great-Grandson's Dad has a site where he gives some information on Daddy and some pictures that he got from other sites (references given). Google: and it's the one he has for January 22, 2010. Matthew Bedford is married to Grace Anne Nelson Bedford and their first son is William.