After earning an electrical engineering degree from the University ofMichigan, Nels went to work for the Wagner Electric Company, St. Louis,MO. Starting as an engineer, he moved into the sales department,eventually rising to Director of Sales and Marketing. He worked over 45years for Wagner Electric before his retirement.

He met his future wife Susan on a blind date that had been set up by afriend of her family. They rented an apartment on Gore Ave. in WebsterGroves, another home on Bompart and purchased their long term home at 216Hawthorne where they raised their family. The house burned when "Susie"was 2 and he was the hero recuing the family and the maid. As Sue'sparents and sister Irene's family lived 4 blocks away, we were an activefamily unit in the community. Nels was active in Toastmasters and DaleCarnegie. They moved to Glendale, the next suburb west after Fred leftfor college.After retirement from Wagner Electric, he accepted amarketing position for Hitachi Motors. In 1973 they moved to Sun City,AZ where they enjoyed 17 years of "playing in the sun". They returned toWebster Groves in 1989 and lived in a new building on the site of theirfirst apartment. Nels died of kidney cancer in 1991. Sue moved toaretirement home in Hinsdale in 1993 and died in 1994.