Pat Banning Nelson

From AO Thomas kindergarten to Kearney High School 1958 for Patty and Bill. Patty on to nursing school, marriage and kids...what an amazing ride. A nursing career began specializing in being an instructor, a surgical nurse and recovery room nurse; and culminating in 12 years of medical/surgical mission trips to Haiti.
Bill's career in banking after college took him to banks in Kearney and Holdrege. His passions included being a private pilot with an instrument rating, and scuba diving with several deep water dives under his belt...his weight belt that is.
We then took a different path owning several Hallmark shops, a pharmacy and JC Penney catalog store all in Nebraska. Time marched on and in the 90's we hit the road...literally...in a job covering the states of Nebraska and Kansas in the floral & home decor business. We retired in 2010.
Very active in our church, communities and civic organizations, both Bill and Patty were elected President of the Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce, and Patty served a term on the Holdrege City Council.
In the meantime, we built a log home ourselves on the Platte River, with some help from family and friends...and began a fascinating time enjoying God's flora and fauna along the river. Camping and traveling throughout the US in an RV occupied much of our vacation and weekend time as our children grew up; and has continued into our senior years.
A few trips abroad whetted our appetite for worldly adventures; and now as we enjoy retirement, we've come back to a state we only visited for many years; we now spend nearly half the year in Arizona...we are officially "snowbirds."
We have some goals for our retirement years, including spending time with our kids and our grandson Jack; spending a summer in our motor coach in Newfoundland and a summer in Alaska.

We recently experienced our first cruise. Bill surprised Patty with a trip last fall to celebrate her 70th birthday. It included a week in California with Jack, and a week cruising the Mexican Riviera. What an awesome birthday from an awesome guy. The Nelsons are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

Update 2013: in summer of 2012 we purchased a home in MountainBrook, Gold Canyon AZ. We are no longer just snowbirds; we love the weather, golf, exploring new things and places and making new friends. Our hearts will always love Nebraska and plan to visit often.