Steve Nelson
1951-01-28 2023-11-09
John Stephen "Steve" Nelson
January 28, 1951 ~ November 9, 2023 (age 72)
OAK RIDGE - John Steven “Steve” Nelson, 72, died Thursday, November 9, 2023, at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital.
He was born January 28, 1951, in High Point and was the son of the late Robert Stafford and Ellen Smith Nelson. Steve was a 1969 graduate of High Point Central where he was an accomplished softball and football player and state champion wrestler. He was also known affectionately by his sisters, as their mother’s only child.
From early childhood, Steve developed a love of horses. He spent most of his youth on the farm with his Pawpaw Johnny learning what it meant to be a true horseman. Throughout his life, he taught countless people how to ride at Dreamcatcher Stables. Horses were his conduit to teach people more than getting around the ring; he was a teacher of life imparting lessons such as always tighten your girth, if you can’t saddle your own horse…you can’t ride, how to overcome fear, what it means to earn trust, the value of sweat equity, how to lead and follow, self-discipline, responsibility, kindness, accountability, empathy, and when you fall off get back on.
Steve also loved Mountain Dew, hunting, fishing, telling tall one sided tales, playing jokes on people, and he never met a stranger. Most importantly he loved his kids, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and barn family. They were his joy.
In his words, “No matter what life has dealt me, I am not going to feel sorry for myself. I am going to burn the candle at both ends until my time is up. I might not have much but I got to be what I always wanted since I was a little…a cowboy…and how many people can say that.”
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Paul Autry; nephew Lee; and grandchildren, Grayson and Addison.
He is survived by his daughter, LeighAnn Weigold of Boerne, Texas; son, Lucas Nelson, and daughter-in-law, Tabitha, and their two children, Novah Claire Nelson and John Beckham Nelson, of Winston-Salem; and his sisters, Martha Autry of High Point and Rosemary Earhart of Mebane. He is also survived by Uncle Mac and Aunt Janice Nelson; cousins, David Dillion, Johnathon Nelson and Lisa Boone; his nieces, Elizabeth Simmons, Megan Earhart, and Jessica Leonard; and his best friends, Lloyd, Jose, Ginny, and Michelle.
A gathering to celebrate Steve’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Colby’s Crew Rescue, 988 Piper Way, Keswick, VA 22947 or online at https://colbyscrewrescue.org/donate.
January 28, 1951 ~ November 9, 2023 (age 72)
OAK RIDGE - John Steven “Steve” Nelson, 72, died Thursday, November 9, 2023, at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital.
He was born January 28, 1951, in High Point and was the son of the late Robert Stafford and Ellen Smith Nelson. Steve was a 1969 graduate of High Point Central where he was an accomplished softball and football player and state champion wrestler. He was also known affectionately by his sisters, as their mother’s only child.
From early childhood, Steve developed a love of horses. He spent most of his youth on the farm with his Pawpaw Johnny learning what it meant to be a true horseman. Throughout his life, he taught countless people how to ride at Dreamcatcher Stables. Horses were his conduit to teach people more than getting around the ring; he was a teacher of life imparting lessons such as always tighten your girth, if you can’t saddle your own horse…you can’t ride, how to overcome fear, what it means to earn trust, the value of sweat equity, how to lead and follow, self-discipline, responsibility, kindness, accountability, empathy, and when you fall off get back on.
Steve also loved Mountain Dew, hunting, fishing, telling tall one sided tales, playing jokes on people, and he never met a stranger. Most importantly he loved his kids, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and barn family. They were his joy.
In his words, “No matter what life has dealt me, I am not going to feel sorry for myself. I am going to burn the candle at both ends until my time is up. I might not have much but I got to be what I always wanted since I was a little…a cowboy…and how many people can say that.”
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Paul Autry; nephew Lee; and grandchildren, Grayson and Addison.
He is survived by his daughter, LeighAnn Weigold of Boerne, Texas; son, Lucas Nelson, and daughter-in-law, Tabitha, and their two children, Novah Claire Nelson and John Beckham Nelson, of Winston-Salem; and his sisters, Martha Autry of High Point and Rosemary Earhart of Mebane. He is also survived by Uncle Mac and Aunt Janice Nelson; cousins, David Dillion, Johnathon Nelson and Lisa Boone; his nieces, Elizabeth Simmons, Megan Earhart, and Jessica Leonard; and his best friends, Lloyd, Jose, Ginny, and Michelle.
A gathering to celebrate Steve’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Colby’s Crew Rescue, 988 Piper Way, Keswick, VA 22947 or online at https://colbyscrewrescue.org/donate.