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Yale Roy Nelson was born October 10, 1918 on a farm near Edgar, Clay County, Nebraska. He was the son of Arthur Nelson and Francis Josephine Cavett. He died at the age of 95 and will be buried in Riverside Cemetery at Gibbon, Nebraska. Preceding him in death were his wife and six brothers and sisters.
Yale grew up on a farm near Verona, Nebraska. After attending high school at Clay Center, he attended Hastings College. In his senior year he entered into a flight training program presented by the Department of Commerce and administered by the college. His flight training was continued through the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and was completed in June of 1942. Yale joined the War Training Command and was assigned to flight instructor duty in Denver, Colorado. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was retained in that service as a flight instructor. He and his college sweetheart, Jean Nutter, were married that year.
The war was winding down in 1944 and in 1945 Yale was discharged from the Army Air Corps. He contacted all the airlines in Chicago and was accepted by United Airlines. Yale was promoted to Line Captain in 1947. In addition he held several other jobs with UAL including First Officer, Flight Instructor, Flight Simulator Instructor, and Test Pilot. While employed by UAL Yale was designated as Flight Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer by the FAA in Washington.
During the following years Yale visited many of the world’s major airlines assisting with their training and operational problems. He retired in 1980 after almost 37 years with United. Besides work, Yale’s lifelong interests were family, music, antique car restoration, antique furniture restoration, clock building and genealogy.
Yale and Jean moved to Broomfield in 1958 and raised four children: Robert , Steven , Thomas and Marilyn . All presently live in the Broomfield area. Yale is also survived by six grandchildren, six great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren. He inspired and was supportive of his family and all who knew him. He was loved and will be sorely missed.
Visitation will be at 9:00 Wednesday, June 4, followed by 10:00 services at the United Church of Christ in Broomfield. In Nebraska, visitation will be at 2:00 June 5 at Godbersons Funeral Home in Gibbon, immediately followed by burial at Riverside Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Yale’s memory can be made to TRU Community Care,2594 Trail Ridge Drive East Lafayette, Co. 80026.
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