Miles & Melba Nelson

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY     (Washington County, Utah)

MILES ERNEST & MELBA SWAPP NELSON

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BIOGRAPHY

Miles served in the U.S. Army with the 7th Armored Division, 106th Infantry in the Battle of the Bulge and was
wounded by shrapnel on Christmas Day 1944. He was a Purple Heart recipient.

Ray served on active duty with the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.
He was disabled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Melba's parents owned a ranch about 8 miles south of Hatch Utah, straddling the border between Garfield and
Kane Counties. It was close enough to St. George that they chose to spend their winters there. They leased an
upstairs apartment at the Arrowhead Hotel on Tabernacle street.

Melvin Gary Nelson didn't particularly like the name Melvin. So he went by the name, Gary Nelson.


FAMILY

Miles' Parents and Siblings:
    Henry Earnest Nelson
    Euphenia Miles Nelson
        Alice Nelson
        Rex M. Nelson
        Ray B. Nelson
        Miles Ernest Nelson
        Evelyn Nelson

(12/15/1880-2/21/1931)   (married xx/xx/xxxx)
(4/28/1890-7/29/1973)
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx)   (married Frank Milne)
(9/8/1912-8/18/1968)   (married Cleo Higgins)
(9/8/1912-3/6/1935)
(8/22/1917-8/30/2001)   (married Melba Swapp)
(xx/xx/xxxx-12/10/2012)   (married Norman J. Hunt)

Melba's Parents and Siblings:
    Melvin Curtis Swapp
    Mary Jane Little Swapp
        Max Little Swapp
        Melba Swapp
        Mont C. Swapp


(5/29/1881-9/17/1959)   (married 1/15/1913; brother of William Jolley Swapp)
(4/24/1891-8/10/1985)
(4/30/1914-7/17/1987)   (married Sylva Snow)
(4/15/1917-3/8/1983)   (married Miles Ernest Nelson)
(4/29/1923-7/25/2003)   (married Shirley Ann Dodds)

Miles & Melba's Family:
    Miles Ernest Nelson
    Melba Swapp Nelson
        Melvin Gary Nelson
        Miles Kent-Nelson
        Raymond Swapp Nelson  


(8/22/1917-8/30/2001)   (married 3/22/1936)
(4/15/1917-3/8/1983)
(2/6/1937-12/31/2016)   (married Lorraine Ann DePalma)
(11/19/1938-11/23/2017)   (married Diane Clark and Nancy Anne Rasimas)
(4/6/1947-6/18/2019)


PHOTOS

WCHS photos:
WCHS-03218   Photo of Miles Nelson in his military uniform
WCHS-03291   Photo of Ray Swapp Nelson about 1963
WCHS-03302   Photo of a young Melvin Gary Nelson


REFERENCES

Letter dated November 22, 1944 from Miles Nelson to Rex & Cleo Nelson
Sent from a U.S. Army camp in England.

V Mail dated December 16, 1944 from Miles Nelson to Rex & Cleo Nelson
This was apparently sent from the Ardennes (Belgium) just 9 days before Miles
    was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge.

Miles Nelson Audio Recording With Family Members, 3/31/1957

FamilySearch entry for Miles Ernest Nelson

Find-A-Grave entry for Miles Ernest Nelson

FamilySearch entry for Melba Swapp

Find-A-Grave entry for Melba Swapp Nelson

FamilySearch entry for Melvin Gary Nelson

Obituary of Melvin Gary Nelson

Find-A-Grave entry for Melvin Gary Nelson

FamilySearch entry for Miles Kent Nelson

Obituary of Miles Kent Nelson

FamilySearch entry for Ray Swapp Nelson

Obituary of Raymond Swapp Nelson