obit_carl_nelson_600x800Carl V. Nelson, '66

Carl V. Nelson, '66, passed away on February 6, 2020 in Indianaplis, Indiana.  Lifetime Member.

Carl Vincent Nelson was born 29 July 1947 to Charles C. Nelson Jr. and Marian E. Nelson (née Williams) in Highland, Illinois. Carl's father left before he was born and in August 1948 he moved with his mother to Alton, Illinois. Carl was permanently taken away from his mother in November 1955, as she suffered from mental illness and was in and out of mental health institutions. Carl lived at the Catholic Children's Home in Alton, Illinois until 1962 and then lived at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home in Boys Town, Nebraska until 1966.

In May 1966, Carl graduated high school. Four years later, in May 1970, he graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education. He subsequently worked as a teacher in the St. Louis Public Schools from 1970 to 1978. Carl married Johnnie Victoria Davis on 26 June 1971. The same year, Carl was ordained as a Baptist Minister. However, the two divorced on 14 September 1976.

In June 1978, Carl moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. There, he married Venita Moore on 9 September 1978. They were divorced on 16 November 1981.

For three years, Carl worked as an Ombudsman at Arsenal Technical High School. Carl graduated from Indiana University with a Master of Science in Secondary Education in June 1986. From 1982 until 2003, he taught at Ben Davis High School. In 2003, Carl retired.  In retirement Carl was a member of the Lion's Club and worked with their literacy program distributing dictionaries to students.

Carl was a regular attendee at Boys Town National Alumni Association reunions.