James Carl “Cart” Nelson (93 years) died May 12, 2005 at College Street Healthcare Center in Beaumont, Texas. He was born in Lawrenceville, Illinois on October 4, 1911, the son of Ora Carl Nelson and Mary Winifred Kelly Nelson. He graduated Lawrence Township High School in 1929 and from Rose Polytechnic Institute with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1935. Upon graduation from RPI, he worked for Sinclair Oil Company in Northern Indiana, but he was soon offered a position in the engineering department of the Texaco Refinery in Lawrenceville, Illinois. In 1939, Cart married Mary Ann Glover also of Lawrenceville, Illinois.
In 1955, Cart was “loaned by” Texaco to the International Consortium in Iran where he spent eight years as Director of Plant Inspection in Abadan Refinery, at that time world’s largest. In 1963, he retuned to Texaco at the Port Arthur Refinery to oversee construction of an increase in cracking facilities and in 1965, he was asked to assist in the start-up of Texaco’s newest refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The National Iranian Oil Company, NIOC, requested his return to Iran in 1968 as a consultant to the Qum Refinery where he retired in 1977.
For the past 28 years of retirement in Lawrenceville, Cart enjoyed a wonderful life of gardening, woodworking, travel, Rotary Club, delivering for Meals on Wheels, Friday nights at the Elk’s Club and visiting with friends and kin. His definition of kin was extensive because close friends were considered family.
James Carl, “Cart”, “Skip”, “GP”, ”Jeep”, “Nelly”, “Tio” loved people. From humble beginnings, he never forgot his roots and treasured people of all walks of life. He loved his wife, his kids, his grandkids and his church. He was a polished kidder and prolific punner who manifested his affection for those he held dear with well aimed and timed “ribbing”. He lived with the ups and downs of his teams, the Cincinnati Reds, Fighting Illini, and the Lawrenceville Indians. He took great pleasure in the accomplishments of others, relished sharing the triumphs of his friends and family, and never shared an unkind word or deed.
Beautiful memories will be shared by his wife Mary Ann Glover Nelson, Beaumont, TX; daughters Eliza Ann Nelson, Lawrenceville, IL and Margaret Nelson Primeaux and husband Ted, formerly Port Arthur, TX and currently Lake Sam Rayburn, TX; son John Lockwood Nelson and wife Anne, Beaumont, TX; grandsons Scott and Cade Nelson, Los Angeles, CA, SFC Andrew Primeaux, Ft Leonard Wood, MO, and Devin Conlon, Lawrenceville, IL; granddaughter Amelie Primeaux, Fredericksburg, VA.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Lee Haak, the staff at Collier Park, Odyssey Hospice Group, College Street Healthcare Center nursing staff and Mr. Sidney Marks, his roommate, for their kind and caring concern for our father.
Services will be held in Lawrenceville, IL. Donations may be made to the Emergency Room Fund, Lawrence County Hospital, Lawrenceville, IL 62439 or the charity of your choice.
Local arrangements were held under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumon