Jan. 24, 1931-Dec. 11, 2003

HERMISTON – Leland A. “Lee” Nelson, 72, a retired mill worker and classic car enthusiast, died Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003 at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Burns Mortuary Chapel in Hermiston. Private inurnment will be held at a later date.

Mr. Nelson was born Jan. 24, 1931 to Arthur J. and Delphia D. Nelson at Los Angeles. He was raised and attended schools in Burley, Idaho. He moved to Pendleton in 1951 and worked for USG in Pilot Rock as an industrial machinist for five years.

Mr. Nelson then moved to Toledo, where he worked at the Georgia Pacific Paper Mill for two years before moving to Portland where he worked at the Oregon Steel Mills for 14 years. Mr. Nelson moved to Hermiston in the early 1980s. He worked at Boise Cascade in Wallula, Wash., for 12 years, retiring in 1993.

Mr. Nelson enjoyed restoring classic cars, traveling and building things in his machine shop.

Survivors include son, Curtis Lee Nelson of Issaquah, Wash.; daughters, Monica Lynn Fiveash of Magnolia, Texas, and Don Marie Schultz of Camas, Wash.; sisters, Marla Zickgraf of Provo, Utah, Gail Ellis of Milwaukie, Shelda Zander of Pomeroy, Wash., and Diane Little of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and grandchildren, Ian, Amie, Eric, Kevin, Sarah, Alexa, Dillon and Sawyer.

Mr. Nelson was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Carol Hall, in 2000.

Those wishing to make a contribution in Mr. Nelson’s memory can do so through the American Cancer Society, 7325 Deschutes Ave. STE “A,” Kennewick, WA, 99336 or through Vange John Memorial, 645 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston, OR, 97838.

Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of arrangements.