Richard Leo Nelson rang in the new year this past Wednesday and celebrated his 100th birthday all at the same time.
He was born in Minneapolis on Jan. 1, 1925. He lived in three states by the time he was 10 years old as his family followed his father, a bridge builder who worked in North Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota before settling on a farm in Zimmerman, Minnesota. The boy considered his father his best friend and mentor. He was inspired by his father’s work ethic, his ability to show affection when it really mattered and his ability to swim, dive, shoot and hit a baseball farther than anyone he knew.
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