Nelson Barnes

LAKEVIEW - Nelson Carter Barnes, after living a very full, blessed and content 102 years here, passed away to spend his eternity in heaven with the Lord on Friday, December 26, 2025.

Nelson was born on a farm near Lakeview, Ohio, in September of 1923 to Wendell Fermon and Indiana Agnes (Carter) Barnes, with the help of a freed slave midwife from Virginia. He was the younger brother of Nevlyn Lajura (Dudgeon) McDaniel, his beloved sister, and the older brother to Ronald Clayton Barnes.

In all but the last months of Nelson's life at Logan Acres, he never lived outside of the same square mile on the northside of Indian Lake, the place he loved most in the world. His childhood was spent in the woods near his home and most of his life was lived outside, enjoying the nature around the lake.

Nelson's first career began at six years old, when his parents decided he was responsible enough to deliver newspapers on foot in Chippewa and Avondale. He eventually got a bicycle when he was about eight and started driving his dad's car on his route when he was about twelve. His newspaper delivery business expanded to at least six different Ohio newspapers and he eventually had other boys delivering for him all around the lake when he was in his teens.

Nelson also worked for his dad, Fermon, in his various business ventures during his life: a truck driver and gravel spreader when Fermon was contracted to lay the roads in Chippewa, a janitor to clean the old brick schoolhouse tavern (later transformed into the Barnes Store), a lifeguard at the Avondale Bathing Pool, a gas station attendant near the corner of OH 235 and 117, and a hunting guide and trapper on the lake.

After losing his right eye in a chemistry class accident in his senior year of high school, there was a fear that Nelson would not be able to work to provide for himself. However, after the beginning of World War II, he was able to get a job working at the Lima Tank Plant, where he test drove tanks and was later promoted to management on the line. After the war was over and cutbacks at the plant, Fermon added another business to his little local empire, and that is how Nelson began running the Barnes Landing, sometime around 1949.

At the landing, Nelson repaired and sold boat motors, rented cabins, boats and docks, sold fishing bait, tackle and candy, and stored people's boats in his big red building. "Barney" could fix almost anything and worked lots of hours keeping locals and lake visitors happy. In 1964, he married his best friend, Nora Lee (Overly). She worked beside him at the landing, made sure he was well fed, filled their home with music and kept him laughing. When Nora began dealing with some health problems, they decided to retire and close the landing in 1994, so he could devote his time to care for her and his aging mother. After 43 years together, Nora passed away in 2007.

No matter what was going on, Nelson always had an entertaining "hard to believe" true story to tell with a twinkle in his good eye and a smile to share. His wealth of lake knowledge and history was always available to anyone who wanted to listen. When he was able, he loved welcoming people as the greeter at the Indian Lake Northside Church of the Nazarene. In the last years of his life, if it was warm and the sun was shining, he could be found on one of his mowers or Ford tractors on his property, often napping with a leg propped on the steering wheel.

According to Nelson, there were at least a half a dozen times in his life that he "almost" died, but God saw fit to keep him around for 102 years. Nelson's nieces, step-granddaughter and thousands of people, family and friends alike, are so very glad He did.

Reverend Gene Grate will begin funeral services at 11:00 am, Monday, January 5, 2025, at Shoffstall Funeral Home, 205 S. Main St, Lakeview, OH. Visitation is Sunday, January 4th from 2-5 pm at the funeral home. Burial will be in Walnut Hill Cemetery, New Hampshire, OH.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given in Nelson's memory to Indian Lake Area Historical Society, PO Box 265, Russells Point, OH 43348.

Arrangements are in the care of Shoffstall Funeral Home, Lakeview, OH. Condolences may be expressed at shoffstallfuneralhome.com.