The funeral service for Mr. William Russell Nelson, 85, of Athens, will be Thursday, August 21st at 11 a.m. at McConnell Memorial Chapel with Reverend Kenny Baskins officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery.
After deteriorating health, William Russell Nelson passed away on Monday, August 18, 2014. He was born October 10, 1928, in Limestone County to Thomas Frederick Nelson and Annie Wray Grisham Nelson. Mr. Nelson was involved with the local community. He attended the University of Alabama and graduated from Athens State College. During his 48-year career with Athens News Courier, he served as advertising manager and retired as general manager. Mr. Nelson was a former Athens Rotarian; he was involved with RSVP; he served on the board of directors at Athens Limestone Hospital; he was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Athens. Mr. Nelson was activated to Company B 134 3rd Engineering Battalion in 1950. He was sent to Fort Hampton Kentucky before arriving in Korea. During his time in Korea, he was sent to the 8th army headquarters near Tokyo, Japan, where he attended an engineering basic NCO course. He returned to Korea as a squad header, and he was made acting platoon sergeant before his discharge. During his tour of duty in Korea, Nelson, ever the newspaper man, was somewhat a war correspondent. He would send information about the local Athens guys serving in Korea. Mr. Nelson would send his reports from Korea to a typesetter named Berzett. The men in his unit called this correspondence the “Berzett Gazette.”
Mr. Nelson was preceded in death by his loving wife, Aldena Chapman Nelson, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fredrick Nelson (Guy).
He is survived by one daughter, Bethany Nelson Reid and husband, Jack, of Fairhope; one son, William Russell Nelson Jr. and wife, Anita, of Niceville, FL; two grandsons, Jack Holmes Reid III of Fairhope and William Nelson Reid of Oxford, MS; two granddaughters, Amy Michelle McDonald and Laura Nichole Christopher of Athens; five great-grandchildren; one brother, Andy Nelson of Maryland; and one sister, Becky Clemmons of Athens.
