Daniel R. Nelson

Daniel Ruben Nelson entered into eternal life on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Daniel
was born on July 28, 1981 in Saginaw, MI to Marianne and Scott Nelson and grew up in
Birch Run where he graduated from Birch Run High School in 1999. As a youth, he
was active in his church and was confirmed at St. Martin Lutheran Church on May 7,
1995 in Birch Run. After high school, he attended Michigan State University and
graduated in the class of 2008. He was a fierce Spartan fan and loved to banter MSU
sports with anyone willing to respond to his boisterous 'GO GREEN!!'.
If one word could describe a man, Dan's self-proclaimed word would be "grit" – a
passion and perseverance for long-term goals – and it fit him perfectly. Dan was a man
of many talents, one of his greatest being his gift for cooking. His love of food and
providing for others led him to a career as a chef. He combined this with his love of golf
and worked as the executive chef for Eagle Eye Golf & Banquet Center for many years
before joining some of his best friends in Midland, MI and working at The Table at The H
Hotel.
From the start he was an avid outdoorsman. There was nothing he loved more than
hunting, fishing, hiking, and just spending time in the woods. He combined this passion
with his culinary skills and became the chef for Gourmet Gone Wild, a nonprofit
outreach program designed to educate young professionals on the subject of
conservationism and introduce them to hunting and fishing in an innovative way: tasteful
and healthy cuisine.
In 2018 Dan spread his wings further and made the move to the Keweenaw where he
could immerse himself even further into the great outdoors. It was while he was there
that he met the love of his life, Stephanie (Humpula), and her daughter Maddie. It was
very quickly obvious that if "soul mates" are a thing they were it for each other, and they
were married on March 16, 2021 after which he joined her in Marquette where he was
most recently employed as a commercial consultant for IHG. Dan and Stephanie
shared a love of the outdoors and enjoyed exploring together through camping, hiking,
snowshoeing, and kayaking. Dan was even able to coax Stephanie into conquering
some lofty backpacking goals with him, and in return, she made him take her to Italy, as
travel was another love they shared. He was truly Stephanie's dream come true, and
the most loyal, loving husband, partner, and friend to her – supporting and encouraging
her endlessly. Dan adopted Stephanie's daughter Maddie as his own in July of 2021,
and took on the role of girl dad full force. He was so proud of her and, to some's
surprise, even loved his role as a "dance dad" as she entered the world of competitive
dance. He could always be heard loud and proud in the audience every time she hit the
stage! He loved sharing his passions with his daughter, and couldn't have been more
excited when she recently started to show interest in hunting as well.
Service to others was another of Dan's passions and over the years he was heavily
involved in his Masonic lodge in Lansing, various Rotary club chapters, and locally the
Marquette chapter of the North Country Trail Association. He had the biggest heart and
always strived to give back and make the world around him a better place.
Dan is predeceased by his grandparents, Geraldine & Clair Nelson and Marjorie
Parlberg, as well as godparents, Mary Lou & Jacob Hofmann, and uncle Bradley Nelson.
He is survived by his loving wife, Stephanie and their daughter, Madeleine; his parents,
Marianne (Parlberg) & Scott Nelson; in-laws, Beverley & Dennis Humpula; grandfather,
Raymond (Arlene) Parlberg; brothers, Steven (Lindsey) Hoffman & David (Becky Barcia)
Nelson; brother-in-law, Benjamin Humpula; niece, Mikayla Hoffman; and nephews, Evan
Hoffman & Jason Ott. He is also survived and missed dearly by numerous special
friends and cousins.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025 from 10 am to 12 pm at Messiah Lutheran Church. A funeral service will be held in the church at 12 pm with Rev. Andrew Plocher officiating. A luncheon will follow the service in Magnuson Hall. Interment will take place in Park Cemetery.
A memorial service will take place at St. Martin Lutheran Church, 10995 Canada Rd Birch Run MI, on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 11 am. Visitation will be at 10am until the time of the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed to his family where an educational fund will be created for his daughter, Madeleine.
Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services is assisting the family where memories may be shared at fassbenderswansonhansen.com