CROSS PLAINS - Robert Kenneth Nelson, devoted husband and beloved father, grandfather and teacher passed away on May 31, 2026, at the age of 81. He was born on August 4, 1944, to Eric and Ann Nelson and spent a life devoted to learning, service, family, and caring for others.

Bob's story began long before his birth. His parents, Eric and Ann Nelson, immigrated separately from Sweden and met in Chicago in 1930, where they began building a life together in America. Their courage, perseverance, and commitment to family helped shape the values that would guide Bob throughout his life.

Bob grew up in southeastern Wisconsin alongside his older brothers, Ronald and Roy. His early years were spent in the Lake Shangrila area near Salem, Wis., where the family lived in a small white house on the lake that remained a cherished part of family history. He attended Barnard Grade School, a one-room schoolhouse near Salem, before continuing his education at Salem Consolidated Grade School and Salem Central High School.

As a young man, Bob learned the value of hard work. During high school and college summers, he worked on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad alongside his brother, Ron, performing physically demanding labor to save money for his education. Those experiences helped shape the work ethic and humility that would define him throughout his life.

Bob attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his bachelor's degree in biology, a teaching license, and later a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. As a graduate student, he participated in pioneering research in the emerging field of genetics, contributing to scientific inquiry during a period of significant discovery and advancement. It was there, in a botany lab, that he met his future wife, Redgy Turner. What began as a classroom partnership blossomed into a lifelong love story. The two married in 1966 and built a remarkable life together over the next 59 years.

Bob also proudly served in the U.S. Army National Guard and the Army Reserves from 1968 to 1974. Initially trained as a medic, he later served as a cook for his unit. His years of military service reflected the same sense of duty, dependability, and care for others that characterized every aspect of his life.

After graduating from UW-Madison, Bob began his career as a biology teacher at Wisconsin Heights High School and taught courses such as Biology and Man and Technology. Leaving the classroom did not mean leaving behind the thing he loved most. It simply gave him a different audience. Former students continued to seek him out and share stories of the impact he had on their lives. He possessed a rare gift for making people curious about the world around them and helping them believe in their own abilities.

After his years in the classroom, Bob began a second successful career in the building trades. He started as an outside sales representative with Fish Building Supply in Middleton and, through hard work and leadership, advanced to become Human Resources Manager for Lanoga Company. His work took him throughout the northwestern United States, allowing him to visit and appreciate some of the regions he grew to love most. Whether mentoring employees, building relationships with customers, or traveling on behalf of the company, Bob brought the same curiosity, integrity, and commitment to people that had defined his years as an educator. Teaching was not simply his profession, it was part of who he was.

Outside of his professional life, Bob devoted himself to his family, his church and his community. He was a man of quiet generosity whose actions consistently reflected his commitment to serving others.

Bob's commitment to service extended well beyond his family. He was a charter member of the Cross Plains Lions Club and a familiar face in community events, including Trout Days. Through St. Martin's Lutheran Church, he participated in LUAD and other ministries, always seeking ways to support those around him. He believed communities thrive when neighbors care for one another, and he lived that belief every day.

Bob was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, Redgy Nelson; his parents, Eric and Ann Nelson; and his brother, Roy Nelson.

He is survived by his daughters, Melissa (Chris) Hanson and Kara (Todd) Nelson; his cherished grandchildren, Reid, Spencer, Emery, Sloane and George; his brother, Ronald Nelson; nieces and nephews; and many friends, former students, church members, and community members whose lives were enriched by knowing him.

Bob's legacy lives on in the family he loved so deeply, the students he inspired, the community he served, and the countless people who benefited from his kindness, wisdom, and generosity. He taught others not only through words, but through example, showing what it means to be curious, hardworking, dependable, and compassionate.

Like all great teachers, his influence continues long after the lesson is over.

A celebration of Robert’s life will take place at ST. MARTIN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, 2427 Church St., Cross Plains, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2026. A graveside service and luncheon will follow. Visitation will take place at the church from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, and also from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Thursday.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the St. Martin’s Legacy Endowment Fund.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Cross Plains

Funeral & Cremation Care

2421 Church St.

(608) 798-3141

Robert K. "Bob" Nelson

August 04, 1944 - May 31, 2026

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