Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1955-12-30
FIathead's IO1- Year-OId Has Wish for Sc

sh for Sc
Now living in his second hundred |
years, DOC" E. Nelson, LaSalle. |
retired veterinarian and 1O2 wears |
old, is wondering if the year 1856 |
will give him second eyesight. Not
that he's blind, but he doesn't want
to buy glasses.
"Doc"-that E. in his name is for
Elmer. He likes DOC" better-has
his second growth of hair, thin, but
it came back iron gray. It used to |
be white what there was of it.
doc" figures it this way. "Myl
hair came back, and we had al
friend: She got her second eyesight. ;"
Mrs. Nelson interrupted, you re-
member Pa, she got it at TO-"
Anyway doc" Nelson isn't going
to buy glasses.
Whenever you talk to a man whose
life span takes him back anywhere
toward the middle of the last cen
fury. you ask about Lincoln.
WORD ABOUT LINCOLN
doc" sitting in his big rocker, and
holding his pipe, replied: II remem-
Der it clearly. l was about IL. A
mamie was Frank Pace came
riding up on his horse leaving the
gates open, and shouted sLincoln's
dead. He was shot and killed"
Birthplace for the LaSalle resident
was in Tazewel county, Illinois, Is
miles from Bloomington, and the
year 1853. Railroads were a novelty.
His father was veterinarian, and
taught his son the trade. doc" add
ed: "I've been a practicing vet for
80 years"
The Flathead's oldest active citi-
zen has a life span that found him
settling in Jefferson, Iowa in 1894,
then demonstrating in Saskatchewan
near Redvers in 1905 when he was
So. He returned to the United States
and homesteaded AZ miles south of
Malta in 1917 when he was 81.
Twenty years ago on Christmas
eve, he and Mrs. Nelson moved to
the old Gus Tetrault place on French
mans flat west of Flathead county
airport. The old-timer is of Irish anG
German extraction.
Lee Nelson, the couples son, NOV
ed from Great Falls in 1850 on an
adjoining farm that he had purchas
ed. Other children are Mrs. ROs!
(Marie) Hoffman, Boone, Iowa, ant
Victor H. Nelson, Wheaton, Ill.
| What does man do when he
102 years old?
SLEEPS WELL
| Does he sleep we'll? Mrs. Nelso
replied: Does he, he shores a
night"
doc" continued. II like the fight
over the radio. Smoke my pipe. Don
i. read much anymore waiting for thu
second eyesight) and bring in wood.
Mrs. Nelson added. Didn't you sc
! that porchful. He has TO keep it flu
even though the wood shed is thre
. steps away
$ doc" splits his own wood al
S shovels the walk.
/ Up until two years ago he used
+ put up hay, but at the age of 10
IS he fell off the stack and cracks
Is his pelvis bone. 1t took two mont
to heal.
If Lee Nelson commented: "Y'
/ can't keep him away though, VIII
S you are putting up hay or workil
5 in the fields.'j
n Only impairment beyond that
!. age to the alert Flathead centenari
k is arthritis in one hand. Hurts pa
of the time
Other conversation at the Nelso
Il last Monday included mention tn
= he had seen Lincoln once at Sprir
: field. ''Never owned or drove a C
Il but kept fine horses. The last tee
q -pintOs died a few years ago. H
e them since they were and S yea
:. old. They died at "a and IS. s.
have the buggy"
WALKED A. MILES
:, when / was 70 years DID," do
s. continued, Il walked every step
~ AZ miles from my place into Ma
- in one day."
When man gets to be 102, p
n n that live for long time, are top
LII of conversation. There was Nell
to the dog that died last summer at
IS age of IA. Mickey, another dog, liz
u, until he was 20. That's better'n
m man passing 100."
es doc" has been going into to
* every Saturday for shave, but n
he's planning on buying an elect
IN razor.
In He doesn't think too much Of
erS present age. '.Too much crime,
nts lence, hate and war;
M However doc" admitted that 2
M of it might be that today we r.
Ter and hear more about what is GO
all around. He tended to agree with
son "that years ago, you didn't kr
nat what happened 80 miles away"
eat Next July 81, there'l be bi
ers day cake at the LaSalle farm he
nestled below rim of trees
Frenchman's flat. They may not
tempt to get all 1O3 candles on
cake. If they do, doc" E. Ne
will make a very substantial ct
to blow them out.
en-
an
Of Use Moi| to Ord