Obituary of Benjamin Robert Nelson

Ben Nelson passed away on Sunday, February 7, 2016 at the age of 31 years. Ben is survived by his loving parents: Robert and Vivian Nelson; his two sisters: Kate (Kory) Prince and Jill Nelson; and man’s best friend: Rusty. Ben is predeceased by his brother, Matthew Nelson. A Funeral Service for Ben will be conducted from the Lloydminster Gospel Fellowship, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 11:00 AM. Donations in memory of Ben may be made to a fund for Flynn Sutherland's future special needs and care. Benjamin Robert Nelson passed away February 7, 2016 at the age of 31. Ben is survived by his loving parents, Bob and Vivian Nelson; two sisters, Kate Prince (and her husband Kory); Jill Nelson (and her fiancé Teague Smith); his maternal grandmother, Marie Sutherland; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He was predeceased by his infant brother Matthew; maternal grandfather Gerald Sutherland and fraternal grandparents Art and Bena Nelson. Ben was born August 27, 1984 and came into this world, the size of a 3 month old, at 10 lbs 1 ounce. He had a powerful set of lungs, and when Ben cried, you paid attention! The Nelsons lived on the same farm since before Ben was born and Ben was a farm boy through and through. Viv remembers that Ben would run hard and play, but would often take a quick break and come running, arms outstretched for a hug, then head back to play some more. Ben was the eldest of his siblings. In his preschool years, he went everywhere with his dad in the grey Chevy 4x4. Ben was always very smart and bright (at the age of 3, he knew all of his directions including NE, NW, SE, SW) and from an early age he would help his dad with difficult farming tasks. In the 1980s, the Nelsons had a center pivot irrigation system and these machines were prone to getting stuck in low places in the field. Pulling out the pivot was a two-man job. Ben was only 2 years old when he started helping his dad pull out the pivot when it was stuck. Bob would place a two-way radio on the control panel, and Ben would stand, perched precariously on a metal frame 3 feet off the ground. Bob would then drive a quarter mile away with his truck and hook the winch on the pivot and when Bob was ready, he would call Ben on the radio and say “Push the button, Ben!” Ben would then push the button and start the system, At only 2 years old, he was his dad’s youngest but very valuable farm hand. Sometimes Ben went to work with his Grandfather Art and he always enjoyed the extra sandwiches, maple cookies and tea Grandma Bena sent along. When Ben and his sisters Kate and Jill went to town, they usually spent the afternoon with their grandmother in the garden, followed by a trip to the Co-op cafeteria where they could have anything their little hearts desired. They spent countless hours with Grandma Bena, having tea and playing cards. When she was at the farm helping out, Ben was quite often at her side, picking berries, riding on the lawn mower or puttering in the garden. Ben grew up with two sisters: Kate and Jill. Kate and Ben were complete opposites as young children. Kate was cautious and quiet, while Ben was fearless and energetic. Ben thought it was funny to push her buttons and get under her skin. But as they got older, they became more alike. It devastated Kate to know her brother was in so much pain over the years and that she couldn't do anything about it. Kate would tell him how much she admired his strength and that she loved him. Ben would always give her the biggest bear hugs, holding her so tight. Even without him saying anything, she could feel how much Ben cared about her. Ben had always been very protective of his sisters but he felt really good when he met Kory. He was honoured to stand up for Kate and his new brother-in-law Kory, last year at their wedding. On the morning of Kate’s wedding, Ben asked Kory to make sure that he will always take care of Kate. Now that he's passed away, that means so much more to Kate than she could have ever imagined. The family holiday for their wedding was one of the best and happiest times they ever had. Later that June, Ben spent countless hours getting the farm yard ready for Kate and Kory's wedding party, making sure everything was absolutely perfect for them. Ben had a soft, sensitive side that his sister Jill remembers most. She said, “Ben always protected Kate and me. He’d give me piggybacks when I didn’t want to walk and mom told me how he would always ask to push my stroller when I was a baby. When I started school, he asked the bus driver on my first day if I could sit at the very back of the bus with him. This is where all of the older, cool kids sat and the bus driver allowed it. I feel like many brothers would be embarrassed of their little sister, but not Ben. He was so proud of me and he even brought me for show and tell when he was in Kindergarten. Ben’s protective side really came out when I started to date. It was difficult to get Ben’s approval, until he met Teague. He was always just looking out for me though, and wanted what was best for his little sister.” Ben's first fishing trip was the day before his first day of kindergarten. Bob took the day off work and the two of them went to Ministikwan Lake where Ben caught his first jackfish. Nobody knew at the time, but that trip was the start of a lifetime full of fishing for Ben. He had unending patience when it came to fishing, and because of that he often out-fished everyone else. Ben loved all forms of fishing, from lakes to the deep sea. His favorite thing to do was to go on fishing trips with cousins Jayson, Andy, and I, as well as numerous friends. When looking for pictures for the slideshow we found literally hundreds of pictures of him holding a fish. Bob tells of a story, he says: “I remember on a family trip to Cancun, Ben and I had an ocean fishing trip booked. However, the morning of the trip the weather was so horrible and the waves were huge, there was no way I was getting on that boat. I backed out but Ben still went. Other guys on the boat were so sick and were literally begging to be brought back to shore. Ben though, was having a great time. He was sick too but there was no way he was going to quit, no matter what.” Ben excelled in school, and his 2nd grade teacher said the only future career she could imagine for him was that of a rocket scientist, due to his 3-dimensional thinking. He especially excelled in math, and was always the first in his class to finish his assignments. When the teacher would give him extra math, he would finish that before the other students had even finished their first assignment. Even the teachers learned a lot from Ben, if you can believe it. Ben knew a lot about computers, and when computers were introduced to Hillmond School, Ben had to show some of the teachers how to use them. Although Ben was always very helpful to the teachers, he always kept one little secret to himself: how to copy and paste. One day Ben got in trouble for going on the internet without permission. Mr. Green told Ben he had to type 100 lines of “I will not go on the internet without permission.” Well what do you think Ben did? He typed it once… then copy and pasted, copy and pasted… you get the drill. The teacher was so impressed that Ben could type that fast! And of course, Ben never let that secret out of the bag. Just like his dad, Ben had a knack for business. In fact, he had several businesses in elementary and junior high. He had a few running operations at Hillmond School which included selling magic cards, pogs and lastly, selling the first burned CDs to Hillmond students. For 20 bucks a pop, you got a personalized CD from Ben Nelson. Ben grew up around his cousins, his Aunt Diane and Uncle Doug Laidler. All the cousins were close to the same age and paired off as great friends. Almost every family holiday was spent travelling together and most occasions were celebrated together. The road trips were numerous. Ben and Jord were like brothers that neither of them ever had. There were overnight stays almost every weekend and the boys loved to be at the farm. As they got older, his dad and Uncle Doug taught them to hunt and a new passion developed. When Jord stayed with Ben on the farm, the boys often got into trouble together. They spent hours taming the new kittens, driving quads, climbing hay bales, shooting gophers, checking cows, branding calves and trying to ride or wrestle them. They never had a dull moment, even making their own hunting videos. After the two boys graduated, they travelled Australia together. Ben attended school at Hillmond and finished his high school at Lloydminster Comprehensive High School. He worked at Alcurve Store, Pizza Hut and Panago, delivering pizza in the evenings. Ben raised his own pigs and would sell them to family and friends. He helped his dad with seeding, harvest, checking cows and running the seed cleaning plant. As the farm expanded, he learned how to run the splitting plant and about the export business. Ben earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Saskatchewan in 2008. While in university, he met a great friend, James Schneider. They spent many hours racing lawnmowers, flying remote planes and helicopters and working on anything mechanical in their spare time. In the winters, they built the largest snowman in the city with the picture and story featured on the front page of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on more than one occasion. Ben had a thirst for knowledge. Even as a very young boy, he asked many questions every day, all day long and whatever answer was given was always followed by, "why"? Ben was very inquisitive and was a life-long learner. If you stopped by for a visit, it was likely that he was watching the History channel. Ben enjoyed designing data bases and built one for the family company, Great Western Grain, that literally saved thousands of hours every year. His dad said he loved having his son work for him - he rarely had to teach Ben anything, he learned most of it as a young boy, and most of it came to him naturally. In 2010 Ben travelled with his Dad on his first trade mission to Dubai, Turkey, Kuwait and Jordan. When he was in Jordan, he got to ride camels, which he desperately wanted to race down the streets of Petra! In 2013, Ben returned to Australia for another trip; the climate suited him best and he loved it there. Ben would often update his Facebook with statuses and pictures while he travelled. The pictures he uploaded always showed Ben with the hugest smile on his face – he never looked happier! One of the girls he travelled with said that Ben always took the back roads. They even had a theme song for it, and she said they saw so much more than most backpackers ever got to see. She also noted that no one continued travelling with Ben if they weren't willing to stop and fish along the way. Many of the girls Ben travelled with said it was the first time in their lives that they had ever fished and that they really enjoyed it. He loved travelling the country and meeting new friends along the way. He even went sky-diving and got his deep sea diving license. Ben kept precious mementos and souvenirs of his travels, and proudly displayed them in his home. He really appreciated the opportunities he had to travel, and eagerly shared his stories, pictures and cherished memories with everyone. Ben loved anything that had to do with nature. He loved living on the farm and said it was the only place he ever wanted to live. He loved the animals around the farm and would often bottle feed any baby animal the mothers rejected. Ben loved the sun, water, the earth and animals… but he especially appreciated rain. As a young boy, he loved to play outside, especially if there was mud involved. When Viv took him to the garden, there was always a trip back to the house to clean the dirt out of his mouth. Last year, Ben planted 3 large gardens and he loved to try new fruits and vegetables each year. He grew enough tomatoes for 20 people but that was really just for himself, since tomatoes were his favorite food! Gardening was therapeutic for Ben and it was an activity that he also enjoyed this with his friend, James McKecknie. Often during the summer evenings, you would see the two of them in the garden or they would go off to pick Saskatoon berries. Ben would show up in his mom’s kitchen and hand her his pails of berries, knowing she would gladly make his favorite pies. We’ve all admired how Ben loved and cared for his dog Rusty. Ben took Rusty everywhere, and trained him to be an obedient and gentle dog, even though his size would suggest otherwise. In 2014, Ben decided to buy, renovate and flip the first of two homes in Arizona. He really enjoyed that endeavour and was fortunate to make a profit. Ben had always led a very simple life and after the sale of this house, he finally had some money that he could spend on himself. Instead, he gave all of the money to a friend who was in need. He was so willing to put someone else's needs ahead of his own... that’s the kind of compassionate and generous man Ben was. Ben also loved cars and hot rods. When he was growing up, Bob and Ben worked on his ‘87 IROC Z Camaro together and bracket raced it at Saskatoon International Raceway. They had recently built a new shop where they would finally have room to work on cars together. Ben and Bob were both really looking forward to its completion. They had plans to rebuild and modify Ben’s Camaro even more and turn one of Bob’s Novas into an 8 second street car. When Bob came home from Phoenix a few weeks before Ben’s passing, Ben had already moved his off road Tracker and his parts vehicle into the new shop. Ben wasn’t going to waste any time, and wanted to make sure the new shop was used for the intention it had been built. Ben spent a lot of time with his close friends, James McKechnie and Kenny Faltermeier. Every Tuesday evening, they watched “Gold Rush” together at Ben’s house, never missing an episode. The three of them, also enjoyed fishing, hunting and working on each others mechanical or building projects. Evan Priest and Brandon Graff joined the three of them for excursions of river boating and on their annual fishing trip up north where they had plans to build a cabin someday. They went on numerous fishing trips together and said that if Ben wasn’t catching fish, nobody was going to catch fish… and it was time to go home. James and Ben spent many hours with metal detectors digging for artifacts, travelling the back roads scouting for deer, as well as many hours at the McKecknie cabin near the North Saskatchewan River. Ben was also an extremely dedicated hunter and put in the time and effort necessary to find the big bucks. He was often out patiently sitting in fields in his truck or sitting in a tree stand with his spotting scope, looking for the biggest bucks in the area. Hunting was one of his favorite things to do with his dad and his friends. This past hunting season, Ben had the season of a lifetime. He shot both a monster whitetail and a monster mule deer, commenting "I can't even believe this happened to me in the same year!" Many summers, Ben took an annual trip out to British Columbia to go salmon or sturgeon fishing with his cousin Andrew Malanchuk. Ben often fished and hunted with his cousin Jayson Sturrock and enjoyed the company of his cousin Dennis Nelson, who had a great sense of humour and positive outlook on life. Ben also enjoyed the trips he took to Blue River snowmobiling in the mountains and spending time with his uncle Harry. He said that snowmobiling in the mountains was exhilarating and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Ben was a wonderful, devoted young man and he loved children. When he found out his sister Kate was expecting, he was very thrilled that he would soon be an uncle. When Jaxson and Flynn came into the Nelson family, Ben loved them and cared for the boys like they were his own. He would help with Flynn by feeding, holding and playing with him and gladly looked after the boys when Viv needed to go into town for the afternoon. She would arrive home to find Ben and one or both of the boys, snuggled together on the rocking chair. Ben loved to teach Jaxson new expressions and words. They spent many hours together cutting grass, moving dirt with the bobcat or taking trips to the garden. As obvious as it was that Jaxson loved being with Ben, we think it was Ben who was really having the most fun. The entire family met up after Christmas in Phoenix. Little did anyone know that this would be their last time together. Bob took Ben, Kory and Teague go cart racing and guess who had the fastest time? They all arrived back at the house, time sheets in hand, and Ben was grinning ear to ear. Kory and Teague were like brothers to Ben and he really enjoyed spending time with them. Ben did not have the health that most of us take for granted. He lived life to the fullest but lived with chronic pain. When Ben was twelve, he developed Ankylosing Spondylitis and in 2014 he was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Most people never knew or understood the extent of the chronic pain that Ben endured for almost 20 years. Unfortunately, medications had little or no effect on his pain. He once told his dad that having to live with the pain 24/7 was enough in itself and he didn't want to have to talk about it over and over again with others. He just wanted to talk about anything else to get his mind off the pain for a little while. He also didn't want people to feel sorry for him or think of him as weak. But the truth is, his family felt that Ben was the strongest person they’ve ever known. Ben’s way of coping with the pain was to do what he could when he could, and he kept his spirits up by focusing on his passions. He managed to do more during his short life than most of us do in a lifetime. Ben was fortunate to spend his last day with his friends. He truly lived his life to the fullest. We will never forget what a gentle, caring and strong person Ben was and how deeply he touched our lives in the short length of time he was with us. Bob and Viv said that they loved how appreciative Ben was for whatever they did for him. They said “Even though he was in constant pain, he always did what he could to give back to us. He did everything he could to lighten our load by doing things such as cutting the grass whenever he was up to it, tidying up the yard and watching the boys. Without hesitation, he wholeheartedly jumped in to do his part without ever being asked. This year, Ben even did all of the gardening for us. His love and gratitude was demonstrated through his actions, and every time any of us would leave for a few days, Ben always told us he loved us and gave us a big hug. And not an awkward ‘I'm too old for this’ kind of hug, but a long, two-armed bear hug that lasted and lasted. We will forever remember that it was always Ben who released his grip last.” Thank you to McCaws Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster who administered the funeral on February 17, 2016. Donations in memory of Benjamin Nelson can be made in Trust for Flynn Sutherland's special needs. We would also like to thank our family, friends and neighbours for their generous donations of food, flowers, cards, letters, visits, phone calls and donations for Flynn. Thank you to: Roger Ogram for officiating and Colleen Ogram for helping to organize the service; Ben’s grandmother, Marie Sutherland and Ben’s aunt Giselle Italiano for doing the readings; Andrew Malanchuk, Greg Nelson and Erin Laumbach, for your gift of music; Joel McCaw, for all your kindness and assistance with the funeral arrangements; Jordan Laidler, for delivering the eulogy; and the LGF ladies for the wonderful lunch. Thank you also to the pallbearers and honorary pallbearers and to Ben’s friends, James McKecknie, Jordan Laidler, Kenny Faltermeier, Dennis Nelson, Harry Sutherland, Andrew Malanchuk, Jason Sturrock, James Schnaider, Doug Laidler, Evan Priest, Brandon Graff, Kory Prince and Teague Smith, and to Ben’s friends, for the touching final canon salute to Ben. Ben rests in peace at the Albion Cemetery… a final resting place in the countryside he so loved. Bob & Vivian Nelson, Jaxson & Flynn Kate & Kory Prince Jill Nelson & Teague Smith