Dr. William Calkins Nelson

Dr. William "Bill" Nelson, 86, Grand Forks, North Dakota passed away April 2, 2011 at the Valley Elder Care Center in Grand Forks, ND. He was born on October 1st, 1924 in Amery, Wisconsin, the son of Clarence and Dortha Nelson. Bill graduated from Amery High School in 1942, where he was active in sports, drama and music. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, MN and the University Of Dubuque, IA and then was accepted to the University Of Minnesota Medical School in 1944. Following his graduation from medical school in 1947, he interned at the Minneapolis General Hospital and then served for a year as a naval physician at U.S. Naval Hospitals on the East Coast. During that year, he traveled overseas with the Atlantic Fleet, which took him to the Azores, Scotland, Oslo, Copenhagen, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands. In 1950, he returned to Rochester, MN to start a fellowship in Internal Medicine. He was called back into the Navy in 1952 during the Korean War and spent two years in California as a naval physician before returning to the Mayo Clinic to complete his fellowship. Bill met his wife, Ruth Anne Lapinske in 1948 while interning at the Minneapolis General Hospital and they were married three years later in 1951. After Bill completed his Navy service and Internal Medicine fellowship, he and Ruth settled in Grand Forks, ND, where they raised five children and Bill practiced at the Grand Forks Clinic in the Department of Internal Medicine. Bill acted as chief of staff and president of the executive board of St. Michael's Hospital in 1967. He was an active member of the American College of Internal Medicine and an assistant professor at the University or North Dakota Medical School. Bill was involved in many community affairs including serving as president of the Rotary Club in Grand Forks, ND. After retiring in 1992, he and Ruth enjoyed the winter months playing tennis and socializing in Palm Desert, CA and the summer months in Bemidji, MN with family and friends. They traveled the world through guided educational tours by the Elderhostel Program. They remained active in the Grand Forks community, attending social and sporting events and playing in many bridge groups. Bill is survived by his wife, Ruth Anne; four sons, Steven Nelson of San Francisco, CA; David Nelson (Debi) of Folsom, CA; Dr. James Nelson of Minnetonka, MN; Bruce Nelson (Sandy) of Atlanta, GA; daughter, Lesley Mundy (Tom) of Eagan, MN; eight grandchildren, Joshua of San Diego, CA ; Jonathan of Folsom, CA; Jennifer and Laura of Atlanta, GA; Peter and India of Minnetonka, MN, and Alicia and Matthew of Eagan, MN; sister, Betty Ann Tofte of North Oaks, MN; brother, Dr. Donald Nelson (Ginny) of Amery, WI. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dortha and Clarence Nelson.