CARBONDALE — Carroll “Toby” Nelson, 82, passed away Monday, May 25, 2015, at his home.
He was born to Dain and Clara in Grand Tower on April 24, 1933. At the age of four he became known as “Toby.” He attended grade and high school in Grand Tower and graduated salutatorian of his class.
He worked for Twin County Service Company in Murphysboro after high school.
He married Rachael Dickerson of Gorham in 1952.
Toby was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953 during the Korean War where he attended the Guided Missile School in El Paso, Texas.
He moved to Carbondale in 1955 and built his own house.
He joined the First Christian Church in 1955 where he served as Supt. of Sunday School, deacon, elder and trustee.
After being discharged he enrolled in Southern Illinois University in industrial arts. Finishing his senior year with an assistantship in the department where he published 57 articles, while proof reading books for Wilcox Publishing Company. He was a member of Iota Lambda Sigma Fraternity serving as president of Psi Chapter.
He then taught Industrial Arts at Murphysboro High School from 1962 to 1964. Moving to Carbondale District 95 and he obtained his Master Degree of Administration while teaching shop at Lincoln Jr. High. He was president of Round Table No. 2 Industrial Arts and served as president of Jackson County Educational Association.
He then became the principal of Parrish School in Carbondale for 23 years and Lewis School for three years.
He was responsible for the first dialysis machine being brought to the Carbondale hospital. He helped start the morning breakfast Kiwanis Club and served as their first president.
In his spare time he loved hunting, fishing and raising live stock. His shop is filled with tools and was his home away from home.
Toby retired at the age of 56 in 1989. He and his wife traveled the world taking their children also. They enjoyed the flea market selling for 35 years traveling the states.
He never missed a Cardinal’s baseball game or SIU basketball game on TV. He loved those “birds.”
He was blessed with three children, nine grandchildren and four great- grandchildren. He loved them all as they loved their “PaPa” and “Pa.”
Survivors are his son, Steven (wife Mary) Nelson of Eldorado, grandchildren Zac Nelson and Katie (husband Kevin) Oglesby, great-grandchildren, Joselyn, Olen, Nelson; daughter, Liz (husband Jerry) Abbott of Birmingham, Michigan, grandchildren, Chelsea and Emily Abbott; and son, David (wife Katie Dalton) Nelson of Richmond Heights, Missouri, grandchildren Tanner and Tobey Nelson and Dallas, Madeline and Jackson Neely.
He is preceded in death by his parents; six brothers and three sisters; and great-granddaughter, Evelyn.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, May 29, in First Christian Church in Carbondale. Burial will follow in Pleasant Grove Memorial Park in Murphysboro. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today, May 28, at Walker Funeral Home, 112 S. Poplar St., Carbondale.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Leave a Condolence