Interviewer
Suzanne M. Vernon
Files
Description
Nan Nelson describes her life with her husband Mel Nelson, until his death from cancer in 1992. She recalls how they met in Tacoma, Washington and eloped in 1942 to Swan Valley, Montana, when they were both 17. She talks about spending that summer learning to live in the semi-wilderness and working odd jobs. Nelson discusses how Mel was drafted into the Army the following spring and served in Europe for the duration of World War Two as a soldier and a mechanic. She tells how, following the war, the couple lived more or less in Tacoma until 1972, when they bought a grocery store and gas station from Mel’s stepfather Andy Korpa in Swan Valley. She describes how they ran the grocery store together for almost 20 years and also opened an airstrip and airplane garage.
Loading...
Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Swan Valley, Montana; Tacoma Washington; Wilderness, Montana; Camping; World War, 1939-1945; U.S. military; Grocery stores, Montana; Gas stations, Montana; Air strip, Swan Valley, Montana
Original Date
11-16-2001
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Upper Swan Valley Oral History Project, OH 422, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 422-071
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (01:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (9 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
01:02:47 minutes
Local Filename
OH_422_071.mp3; OH_422_071.pdf
Citation
Nelson, Nan, "Nan Nelson Interview, November 16, 2001" (2001). Upper Swan Valley Oral History Project. 25.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/upperswanvalley_oralhistory/25