Ralph Emerson Nelson

Ralph Emerson Nelson, 77, passed away Sunday, April 26, 2015, at Hospice of the Valley in Glendale, Ariz.

He was born on July 21, 1937, to Ralph E. and Mabel (Humphries) Nelson. Ralph's father was killed in a tragic accident when Ralph was 3-months old.

Ralph grew up in Glasgow and attended schools in Glasgow, graduating with the class of 1956.

He leaves a legacy of love, hard work and the ability of many friendships along the way. He was a hard worker all of his life. As a young man he worked on farms in the Glasgow area. He helped with his family and never refused a job, no matter what it was. He was always proud of his life working construction. He was a foreman on the building of the second powerhouse in Fort Peck at the age of 18 and he went on to work on other dams. He was superintendent on the Pelican Prison and many high-rises in the San Francisco area.

He married Sharon Short in 1961 in Phoenix and they were blessed with a daughter, Marie Irene. Sharon passed away in 2000.

He and his beloved dog, Webe, moved back to Montana, settling into Manhattan, where he loved to four wheel the mountains and fish the many streams available to him. He enjoyed woodworking; making bowls, trays and vases, which he shared as gifts with friends and family.

In 2003 he met Rhea Haskin in Glasgow. They were married in 2004 in Manhattan and spent 11 years traveling, boating, fishing and most of all enjoying each other's company.

Preceding him in death are his parents; his wife, Sharon; three brothers, George, Buddy and Brent; and five sisters, Donna, Helen, Marsha, Sharon and Julie.

Survivors include his wife, Rhea; a daughter, Marie Earle and her husband, Darrel, of Thorton, Colo.; a special sister, Marie Hobby, of Marietta, Ga.; Scott Haskin and his wife, Tammy; four special grandkids, Brandin, Dakota, Tilina and Gabby Haskin of Middlebille, Mich.; many cousins: special cousins Don and Duane Johnson; nieces and nephews, including special nephew George Hyde and his wife, Corie; many in-laws that he considered family, including Myrt and Glyn Bamford; and friends, Gordon Eatinger and Wayne Andersen.