Charles Nelson

KINGSFORD - Charles John Nelson, 92, of Kingsford, died Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at Freeman Nursing and Rehabilitation Community in Kingsford. He was born Aug. 1, 1914, in Atlantic Mine, son of the late John and Signe (Westerberg) Nelson. Charles graduated from Michigan Technological University with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. He married Patricia Ryan in 1945. Charles and his brother, Evan started the Nelson Paint Co. in 1940. When World War II intervened, raw materials for paint were hard to come by, so he held positions with Kimberly-Clark, Ford and Allied Aviation working with the U.S. Navy and Air Force glider systems. After the war, he went back to Nelson Paint. At Nelson Paint, they made a general line of paints and industrial finishes. After requests from the forest industry for better paints and applicators, they began producing such products as pre-marking paint and equipment. In response to the need to mark trees from a distance, Nelson Paint developed the paintball and paintball gun, using carbon dioxide for propulsion. This technology later expanded for use in the cattle industry and more recently for competitive paintball games. Charles was a past director of the Commercial National Bank, past president of the Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Chippewa Club, past president of the Interstate Shrine Club and a lifelong member of the Masonic Lodge. He was also a recipient of the Michigan Tech Board of Control Silver Medal. He leaves his wife, Patricia; one sister, Mae Waisanen of Racine, Wis. and family; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Geraldine and Edward Collette of Niagara, Wis.; son, Michael and family; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dennis and Mary Ryan of Kingsford and family; sister-in-law, Carol Skogman of Beaver Dam, Wis. and family; special niece, June Waisanen of Kingsford; and many other nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by a sister, Sigruid Tapani, a brother, Evan Nelson and a niece, Barbara Louys. Condolences to the family of Charles Nelson may be expressed online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com. The Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain will be handling private arrangements

Charles Nelson

June 12, 1915 - June 12, 2007