We've dedicated this page to honor the Nelson family patriarch - husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, mentor and friend.

L. V. was born in Carlsbad, N.M. on April 26, l928.  He lived there until l7 years of age when he moved to Yellville, Arkansas with his family.  His father was prospecting in the Mattie Mae Zinc mine near Yellville.  They were renting one of the cabins at the Buffalo River National Park where he met Helen Martisek.  She was working at the park during the summer.  He went to work for his dad in the mine.  After seven months, he proposed to Helen and she accepted the proposal and they were married on Dec. 3l, l946.  The mine adventure didn’t work out since the price of zinc dropped so they moved to Tulsa, Okla. Where he went to work for Flint Steel Corp, and served his apprenticeship as a welder.  His first son, Rick, was born while we lived in Tulsa.  In l950 he packed up all of their possessions and moved his family back to Carlsbad, N. M. where he went to work in the U. S. Potash mine.  They lived in Carlsbad 8 years, during which time a daughter, Barbara and a son Roger was born. The workers at the mine went out on strike so after a while L. V. decided he needed to find work elsewhere so he came out to California where his brother lived and became employed by Varian Associates.  They bought a house in Sunnyvale, Ca. and settled down.  Soon afterwards a daughter, Rene’ was born. Their family became involved with both the activities of the various schools and the work of the Church of Christ at Mountain View, Ca. where he later became an elder and served in that capacity for 43 years.  He continued working at Varian Associates in various capacities for 33 years.  He was pretty much a “jack of all trades” but his real pleasure at Varian was welding.

Luther Vincent Nelson Jr. “L.V.” (GranddaddyY) passed away Sunday January 25^th 2004 at the age of 75. Survived by his wife of 57 years, Helen and children Rick, Barbara and her husband Kent, Roger and his wife Sue, and Rene’ and her husband Ben – 20 grandchildren - ScottyY, Corye, DanielY, Brian and his wife Jenn, Aaron and his wife Jenn, Erin and her husband John, Kimberly and her husband Robert, Jeff, ShawnY, SarahY, Shaun, Jason, Ashley, Jennifer, Morgan and Colton, and 4 great grandchildren - Elijah, Hannah, Nathan and Hailey.

We sure do miss him!