1985
Staff
2007
Staff Sgt. Andrew Paul Nelson
April 27, 1985 — August 29, 2007
Click here to view the video tribute for Andrew
Staff Sgt. Andrew Paul Nelson, age 22, of Moorhead, MN, died Wednesday, Aug. 29, while serving with the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq. He was serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. He also served one tour in Afghanistan.
Andrew was born April 27, 1985, to Daniel and Suzanne (Pribula) Nelson. He attended St. Joseph's Elementary School in Moorhead. Seeing how important faith was in his parents' lives, Andrew made the decision to attend St. Anthony's/Sullivan Middle Schools and Shanley High School in Fargo, graduating in 2003. At Shanley, Andrew was captain of the cross country team and participated in football, track and choir.
Andrew was a member of Boy Scout Troop 644 and held numerous youth leadership positions. He learned at an early age the importance of delegating responsibilities and working together to accomplish goals. He also modeled respect for leadership, an attribute that helped him excel in his later service to the U.S. Army. On July 29, 2002, he was awarded Scouting's highest honor, the Eagle Scout Award. While in Scouting, Andrew participated in many camps and activities, including week-long canoe trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He also served as a staff member of Camp Wilderness. For Andrew, no job was too small and no task too difficult. He met each challenge before him with an ever-present grin. Some of the Scouting parents shared that Andrew was not only a role model and hero to younger Scouts, but also a hero to them personally because of the example he provided their children.
He enjoyed card playing with his uncles (pinochle was his favorite!), classical and country music, video games, farming and traveling with family. And Andrew was every woman's dream-a man who would cook, sew and clean and was not even afraid to ask for driving directions!
Throughout his years in Scouting, Andrew developed many friendships with youth and adults. The fatherly role models provided through Scouts were especially important to Andrew after the death of his father in 1999.
Andrew loved sports and never tired of being busy. As a young boy, he and his father often left the house at 4 a.m., a time chosen by Andrew, for their fishing trips. He later learned to see the fish from a different angle, as a scuba diver. When visitors came to the house, Andrew went out of his way to interact with the children. Through a 4-H dog therapy program, Andrew trained his dog to interact with the elderly, then volunteered at area nursing homes.
Andrew enlisted in the United States Army on June 4, 2003. He received his basic and military occupational specialty training for Infantry at Fort Benning, GA. Upon graduation, Andrew completed Airborne school at Fort Benning en route to his duty assignment with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC, where he was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 73rd Cavalry, 82nd Airborne Division. Andrew was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant on Aug. 29, 2007.
Andrew's military awards include: The Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation medal, four Army Achievement medals, Iraq campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Andrew was proud to help the people of Iraq through his service to the United States and readily shared photos from Iraq with friends and family when he returned from his tours of duty.
Andrew is survived by his mother, Suzanne; five sisters, Jessica, Moorhead, Alix (Evans) Nelson Royal, Ft. Worth, TX, Erin Nelson, Grandview, TX, Sonja (Brian) Nelson, Alvarado, TX, and Kirsten (Russ) Lukach, Buffalo, MN; two brothers, Dan, Ft. Worth, TX, and Eric, St. Louis Park, MN; four nephews, Jared and Derek Nelson, Oregon, James and Tyler Buzbee, Alvarado, TX; one niece, Keyla Buzbee, Alvarado, TX; three uncles, Fr. Duane Pribula, Nevis-LaPorte, MN, Mike (Sharon) Pribula, Santa Clara, CA, and Greg (Becky) Pribula, Thief River Falls, MN; four aunts, Carol Pribula, Mesa, AZ, Lois (Pat) Smith, Asheville, NC, Paula (Michael) Hamman, Charlottesville, VA, and Mari (Paul) Grinolds, Golden Valley, Minn.; and cousins Chris (Karla), Joe (Christi), Mitch, Karen and Katie Pribula, Mitch (Sharla) Schoch and Kevin (Susan) Schoch, Cole and Audrey Grinolds; and a very special friend and her mother, Kari and Beth Brantner of Moorhead.
He was preceded in death by his father, Daniel, and grandparents Clarence and Agnes Nelson, and Leon and Irene Pribula.
Memorials are preferred to St. Joseph School or the Boy Scouts of America.
Visitation: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church, 5202 25th St. S., Fargo. Prayer Service: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m., Sts. Anne & Joachim Church
All-night Vigil: An all-night prayer vigil at St. Anne & Joachim Church will begin after the prayer service and end at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. Participants may come to pray at any time during those hours.
Funeral Mass: Thursday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m., St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 218 10th St. S., Moorhead, MN
Interment: Friday, Sept. 7, at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, 7601 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN
Facebook entries: http://hs.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5633654877
Staff Sgt. Andrew Paul Nelson, age 22, of Moorhead, MN, died Wednesday, Aug. 29, while serving with the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq. He was serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. He also served one tour in Afghanistan.
Andrew was born April 27, 1985, to Daniel and Suzanne (Pribula) Nelson. He attended St. Joseph's Elementary School in Moorhead. Seeing how important faith was in his parents' lives, Andrew made the decision to attend St. Anthony's/Sullivan Middle Schools and Shanley High School in Fargo, graduating in 2003. At Shanley, Andrew was captain of the cross country team and participated in football, track and choir.
Andrew was a member of Boy Scout Troop 644 and held numerous youth leadership positions. He learned at an early age the importance of delegating responsibilities and working together to accomplish goals. He also modeled respect for leadership, an attribute that helped him excel in his later service to the U.S. Army. On July 29, 2002, he was awarded Scouting's highest honor, the Eagle Scout Award. While in Scouting, Andrew participated in many camps and activities, including week-long canoe trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He also served as a staff member of Camp Wilderness. For Andrew, no job was too small and no task too difficult. He met each challenge before him with an ever-present grin. Some of the Scouting parents shared that Andrew was not only a role model and hero to younger Scouts, but also a hero to them personally because of the example he provided their children.
He enjoyed card playing with his uncles (pinochle was his favorite!), classical and country music, video games, farming and traveling with family. And Andrew was every woman's dream-a man who would cook, sew and clean and was not even afraid to ask for driving directions!
Throughout his years in Scouting, Andrew developed many friendships with youth and adults. The fatherly role models provided through Scouts were especially important to Andrew after the death of his father in 1999.
Andrew loved sports and never tired of being busy. As a young boy, he and his father often left the house at 4 a.m., a time chosen by Andrew, for their fishing trips. He later learned to see the fish from a different angle, as a scuba diver. When visitors came to the house, Andrew went out of his way to interact with the children. Through a 4-H dog therapy program, Andrew trained his dog to interact with the elderly, then volunteered at area nursing homes.
Andrew enlisted in the United States Army on June 4, 2003. He received his basic and military occupational specialty training for Infantry at Fort Benning, GA. Upon graduation, Andrew completed Airborne school at Fort Benning en route to his duty assignment with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC, where he was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 73rd Cavalry, 82nd Airborne Division. Andrew was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant on Aug. 29, 2007.
Andrew's military awards include: The Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation medal, four Army Achievement medals, Iraq campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Andrew was proud to help the people of Iraq through his service to the United States and readily shared photos from Iraq with friends and family when he returned from his tours of duty.
Andrew is survived by his mother, Suzanne; five sisters, Jessica, Moorhead, Alix (Evans) Nelson Royal, Ft. Worth, TX, Erin Nelson, Grandview, TX, Sonja (Brian) Nelson, Alvarado, TX, and Kirsten (Russ) Lukach, Buffalo, MN; two brothers, Dan, Ft. Worth, TX, and Eric, St. Louis Park, MN; four nephews, Jared and Derek Nelson, Oregon, James and Tyler Buzbee, Alvarado, TX; one niece, Keyla Buzbee, Alvarado, TX; three uncles, Fr. Duane Pribula, Nevis-LaPorte, MN, Mike (Sharon) Pribula, Santa Clara, CA, and Greg (Becky) Pribula, Thief River Falls, MN; four aunts, Carol Pribula, Mesa, AZ, Lois (Pat) Smith, Asheville, NC, Paula (Michael) Hamman, Charlottesville, VA, and Mari (Paul) Grinolds, Golden Valley, Minn.; and cousins Chris (Karla), Joe (Christi), Mitch, Karen and Katie Pribula, Mitch (Sharla) Schoch and Kevin (Susan) Schoch, Cole and Audrey Grinolds; and a very special friend and her mother, Kari and Beth Brantner of Moorhead.
He was preceded in death by his father, Daniel, and grandparents Clarence and Agnes Nelson, and Leon and Irene Pribula.
Memorials are preferred to St. Joseph School or the Boy Scouts of America.
Visitation: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church, 5202 25th St. S., Fargo. Prayer Service: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m., Sts. Anne & Joachim Church
All-night Vigil: An all-night prayer vigil at St. Anne & Joachim Church will begin after the prayer service and end at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. Participants may come to pray at any time during those hours.
Funeral Mass: Thursday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m., St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 218 10th St. S., Moorhead, MN
Interment: Friday, Sept. 7, at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, 7601 34th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN
Facebook entries: http://hs.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5633654877
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