Husband: Nels Elmer Nelson (usually called Elmer)
    Born: Jan 4, 1894            Place: Trinidad, Las Animas, CO
    Died: Nov 9, 1987            Place: Glendora, CA
    Occupation: Grocer
    Married: Apr 27, 1914        Place: Methodist Episcopal Church, Raton, NM
    Husband's Father: Andrew Solomon Nelson
    Husband's Mother: Hannah Johnson

Wife: Elizabeth M. Rodda (usually called Beth)
    Born: Nov 21, 1895           Place: Blossburg, NM
    Died: Dec 24, 1968           Place: Long Beach, CA
    Occupation: Grocer, Housewife
    Wife's Father: Henry James Rodda
    Wife's Mother: Ida Florence Clark

1. Female, Name: Dorothy Ella Nelson
    Born: Feb 18, 1915           Place: Las Animas, Bent, CO
    Died: Mar 20, 1968           Place: Long Beach, CA
    Occupation: 
    Spouse: ? Foster
    Married:                     Place: 

2. Male, Name: Leslie Rodda Nelson
    Born: May 1, 1916            Place: Las Animas, Bent, CO
    Died: Still Living           Place: Denver, CO
    Occupation: Meat Cutter
    Spouse: Doris Margaret Landau
    Married: June 20, 1937       Place: Denver, CO

3. Male, Name: Elmer Andrew Nelson
    Born: Jan 14, 1918?          Place: CO
    Died: Feb 18, 1992           Place: CA
    Occupation: Minister
    Spouse 1: Lila Landau
    Married:                     Place: CO
    Spouse 2: Lillian ?
    Married:                     Place: CA

4. Male, Name: Norman Nelson
    Born: 1926           Place: Denver, CO
    Died: Still Living           Place: CA
    Occupation: Minister, Singer
    Spouse 1: Georgia ?
    Married:                     Place: CO
    Spouse 2: Charlotte ?
    Married:                     Place: CA

4. Female, Name: Merilyn Nelson (adopted)
    Born: abt 1934               Place: CA
    Died: ?                      Place:   
    Occupation: ?
    Spouse: ?
    Married:                     Place: 

Click on small photos to see larger versions.

Nels and Elizabeth in 1960's

Nelson relatives during California visit, 1946. L to R: Georgia, Norman, Dorothy - Leslie's older sister, Jerry, Dorothy's son Bobby, Doris holding Judy, Grandma Elizabeth, Merilyn

Jerry, Leslie, Nels, Andrew in 1946

Georgia & Norman

How Nels and Elizabeth came to meet is unknown. Trinidad and Raton are about 20 miles apart over Raton Pass. Las Animas is another 100 miles northeast of Trinidad. They were living in Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado from 1914 until 1918-19. Then they moved to Denver where Nels owned a small grocery store, Nelson's Red & White on South Broadway St. Many small businesses struggled during the Great Depression. Nels went broke extending credit to hungry customers who could not repay him. On his Social Security application filed in October, 1942, Nels listed his occupation as "unimployed" [sic]. In about 1947, they moved to the Los Angeles area to take advantage of the superior economic climate there.