John Christian Nelson and Mary Ann Baxter Nelson
Elder John C. Nelson: Born in Denver, Colorado June 14, 1940, second in a family of 5 children. I attended school in Salt Lake from 1st grade through college. In 1964 I married my college sweetheart, Lynne Sanders of Salt Lake prior to attending medical school at the U. of Utah. After completing medical school in 1968, we traveled to the U. of Iowa in Iowa City, the place of origin of the Handcart companies, and completed a residency in Ophthalmology in 1973. We then crossed the plains back to Salt Lake to begin practice in West Valley City. We raised 5 children, and then in 1981, while pregnant with our last child, my wife was discovered to have a brain tumor, requiring surgery and radiation. She did well for several years, but then passed away in 1999. Mary Ann was an answer to prayer, and in September of 1999 we were married and have enjoyed 7 wonderful years together. Combined, we have 11 children and 15 grandchildren, so far. I retired in 2003 with hopes to serve a mission. After being called to serve as President of the Cape Town, South Africa mission, in 2005, our mission had to be deferred because of Mary Ann’s illness. We were thrilled when we were called to serve in the St. George Visitors Center.
Sister Mary Ann Nelson: Born in Murray, Utah to Golden & Helen Baxter. My father was a Cache Valley boy and mother had her roots in American Fork. My brother and 3 sisters worked in Dad’s grocery store and tried to live up to mother’s reputation as a teacher. My mother celebrated her 102nd birthday the day before we entered the mission home. I’m blessed to have two sisters that care for her. I graduated in EL Ed. from the "U of U", but I usually cheer for the Aggie’s. I fell in love with a cute young man from my home ward named Russell Warren. After we both graduated he entered medical school at the "U". His post graduate training was done at the University of Iowa where John and Lynne became very good friends of ours. John was the Bishop and Lynne coaxed me out of the house everyday so I wouldn’t be homesick. In 1973 we moved to Logan where my husband started his Ophthalmology practice. We raised five children and all but one have graduated from USU. For the first 2 years of our marriage I taught elementary school In 1987 I started working for USU in the Elementary Ed. Dept. as an academic advisor and I supervised student teachers. My husband passed away from lymphoma in 1998. After Lynne (John’s wife) passed away I was given a special prompting to call John. It was like someone sprinkled us with a special love potion and we’ve been enjoying the ride ever since. We feel so blessed to have each other and to be serving the Lord in St. George.
Church News December 9, 2006
John Christian Nelson, 66, St. George Utah Temple Visitors Center; Parleys 3rd Ward, Salt Lake Parleys Stake; patriarch; former counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, high priests group leader, Scoutmaster and missionary-in the Northern California Mission. Retired ophthalmologist. Born in Denver, Cob., to George Elroy and Alice Taylor Nelson. Married Mary Ann Baxter, 11 children.
A ward Young Women adviser, Sister Nelson is a former ward Relief Society counselor and teacher, stake Young Women president and gospel doctrine teacher. Born in Murray, Utah, to Golden S. and Helen Myers Baxter.