Kenneth Arthur Nelson entered this world April 18, 1942, assisted by his maternal grandmother Amanda Barnes at the Barnes Maternity Home in Coeur d’Alene. Son of Elton and Maxine Nelson he attended Bryan, Harden and Sherman elementary schools, Coeur d’Alene junior high and high school graduating in 1960. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Idaho and a teaching degree from Berkeley.

In 1951 the Nelson family moved from town to a small farm on Stanley Hill where he became a great explorer finding fossils and building forts. Ken was a member of the Homesteaders 4-H Club under the leadership of Faye Seagraves. He raised animals and completed other 4-H projects to show at the fair each year. Ken served one year as Idaho State 4-H President after being elected at Idaho 4-H Club Congress in Moscow. During his senior year he was an Idaho representative to National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. His other interests while growing up in Coeur d’Alene were sports, band, DeMolay, hunting and fishing. During the summers he worked for the forest service.

Ken married his 4-H sweetheart Sharon Fay Paynter from Payette in 1962 and they had four daughters. The family got to see and explore the history, beauty and culture of the United States as he took jobs taking them from the Midwest to the East Coast and back to the West Coast. It was terrific exploring the national parks, museums, galleries, and historic sights of our country. Ken loved attending symphonies, operas, ballets and plays in many major cities.

Ken worked as an engineer and manager in the manufacturing industry for 23 years. Jobs with GE, Jenn Air, AO Smith and Memorex took him to Milwaukee, Wis., Hudson Falls, N.Y., Philadelphia, Pa., Indianapolis, Ind., and the San Francisco Bay area. He changed jobs to avoid raises and promotions that would take him to Louisville, Ky., (an ant hill of major manufacturing plants) three times. Obviously he had no desire for antebellum mansions surrounded by pastures of grazing horses. When Memorex moved manufacturing overseas he left the industry. Ken did consulting, taught classes for the California Electrical Engineer Licensing Exam, and taught electrical engineering, calculus, physics and astronomy at ITT Technical schools in Hayward and Tracy, Calif. He co-authored a book to assist in preparing for the California Engineering Exam. He was honored as teacher of the year by ITT twice in Hayward and once in Tracy.

Ken became a member of Kootenai Lodge No. 24 in 1963. He was active in York Rite, Scottish Rite and Calam Temple Shrine. He received his KCCH Degree in Scottish Rite at Boise lodge in 2009.

Ken and Sharon recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party at Trinity Lutheran among family and friends.

Ken is survived by his wife, Sharon of Coeur d’Alene; daughter Neva Kenine Gonzalez-Voyk and son-in-law Thomas Voyk of San Jose, Calif.; daughter Krena Solheim of Felton, Calif.; daughter Kelina Frazier and son-in-law Robert Frazier of Stockton, Calif.; daughter Kimberly Nelson of Coeur d’Alene; 10 grandsons, three granddaughters and one great-granddaughter. Also surviving him are his mother, Maxine Nelson; brother Curtis and his wife Carol Nelson; sister Connie and her husband Doral (Butch) McGee, all of Coeur d‘Alene; five nieces, five nephews and their families.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St. , Coeur d’Alene.

English Funeral Chapel, Coeur d’Alene, has been entrusted to handle the final arrangements. Please visit Ken’s online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.