Rev. Dr. Ralph E. NelsonThe Rev. Dr. Ralph E. Nelson was born on February 26, 1938 to the Rev. Ernest J. and Winifred H. (Edwards) Nelson in Joliet, Illinois. On March 25, 2021 he was released from his burdens and opened the door to a new life in accordance with the love and will of God.Rev. Nelson was raised in various communities in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. He graduated from high school in Merrill, Wisconsin, in 1956, where he excelled in state instrumental music competition. In 1960, he graduated cum laude from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and in 1963 from Princeton Theological Seminary where he received an M. Div. and the fellowship in Old Testament Language and Literature. In 1967 he received a Master of Theology in Old Testament studies from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and in 1981 a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He pursued further Biblical education at the Institute for Advanced Theological Study at Tartur, Jerusalem, Israel. On June 25, 1967 he was married to Linda Ruth Hodges.Rev. Nelson served parishes in Great Bend, Kansas; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Le Mars, Iowa; Newton, New Jersey; and Casper, Wyoming where he retired in 2003. He served as an adjunct assistant professor of Biblical languages at the former Westmar College in Le Mars, Iowa and as adjunct instructor in the Doctor of Ministry program at Drew University Theological School in Madison, New Jersey. In 1999 he was also a guest lecturer in Old Testament at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia. He was vitally interested in pre-marital and marital counseling and was a national trainer for the Prepare/Enrich pre-marital and marital testing and counseling program developed at the University of Minnesota.Rev. Nelson was elected moderator of two Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as well as chaired a number of local boards dealing with arts programming, sexuality education, and the boards of two counseling centers. He chaired the Ethics Forum at the Wyoming Medical Center, was pastoral advisor for a Samaritan Counseling Center, did 5th step counseling at New Horizons in Casper, and chaired the board of Mercer House. Following his retirement, he served a term on the Casper Area Community Foundation. He sang in the Casper Civic Chorale and later with the Symphony Chorale of the Helena, Montana Symphony.He was an ardent hobbiest, working in art, photography, music, wood working, and various crafts. He thoroughly enjoyed traveling, having worked, studied, or toured in some 27 foreign countries. He and his wife, Linda also hosted four foreign exchange students. He was deeply concerned for the world's people as members of the human community and deeply loved his wife of 53 years, his daughter, Gretchen Krumm, son-in-law Blair Krumm and granddaughter, Ella Krumm.He is predeceased by his parents and a younger brother, Lawrence Ernest Nelson. He is survived by his wife, Linda Nelson, daughter Gretchen (Blair) Krumm, granddaughter Ella Krumm, sister Nancy (Martin) Jacobson, sister Karen Gullickson-Lee, sister-in-law Jean (Charles) Burch and numerous nieces and nephews.Services will be held Saturday, April 10th at 10:00am at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in Helena, MT (3580 N. Benton Ave.) and streamed online at www.ourredeemerlives.org. Recording of the service will also be available on the church website for some time after this date. Due to COVID precautions, in-person seating will be limited, social distancing protocols must be followed, and masks are required. No receiving line or reception will follow due to concerns about public health and safety. A committal service will take place at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Casper, WY (4600 S. Poplar; Casper, WY 82601) on Saturday, July 3rd at 10:30am.In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in Helena, MT or Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Casper, WY.