David Nelson

1951 - 2026

David W. Nelson passed away peacefully in his home in Grand Forks, ND, on Friday, January 23, at the age of 74.
David was born in Williston, ND, on April 18, 1951, and he lived most of his life in his beloved hometown. He grew up in the house built by his father, uncles, and grandfather, a big loving household; and he settled in a house one block away from his parents, where he lived for more than 40 years before moving to Grand Forks.
David's education path was a little unorthodox, often skipping school as a youth to go to the library and read science fiction novels. He spent his first two years of college at UND-Williston, but he hit his academic stride when he studied Social Work at UND in Grand Forks (B.A. 1973) and pursued interests in fields like philosophy and psychology. One year studying at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA, was enough to know that becoming a minister wasn't quite the right path for him, but when he went to UND School of Law in 1978 (J.D. 1981), he knew he had found his calling.
His legal practice was shaped partly by time and place, developing expertise in oil and gas law during Williston's oil boom, but it was moreso driven by his passion for justice and for helping those most in need. He specialized in family law and served on the Boards of the Opportunity Foundation (helping people with disabilities) and the Family Crisis Shelter (helping victims of domestic violence). He also loved being part of the legal community, spending countless hours discussing the law with treasured conversation partners whose brilliance he so admired, like his closest cousin Tim Kingstad and his dear friend Patrick Leier.
He first became a judge in a part-time position, overseeing Williston Municipal Court from 1986-1994. Then in 1994, he ran in and won his first election for District Judge, a position he held until his retirement in 2016. After retirement he continued to serve as a Surrogate Judge of the Supreme Court until 2025.
As a judge, he embodied care, fairness, and responsibility. He constantly pushed himself to learn more and be a better judge and a better advocate for improving the systems that impacted the lives of people in the community. In his work he also developed great relationships with coworkers. Jean Lindvig, court recorder and travel companion for decades, was his closest constant in this realm; but from custodians to courthouse architects, from staff to clerks to administration, from police to State's Attorneys to law firms, from fellow District Judges to the ND Supreme Court justices, the people he encountered in his career received his respect and admiration.
The center of David's life was his family, and his wife Sherri was his true love and constant companion. They met in 1969 and started dating, him driving out from Williston to Epping to pick her up in his 1950 Packard. They were married in 1973, raised two sons, and built a long happy life together full of love, music, art, and togetherness.
Together, he and Sherri were the best parents and grandparents anyone could hope for. David infused his sons Matt and Steve with his intellectual passions, and he stood as a model of character for them to learn from and follow. He supported them implicitly in every endeavor, and they never had to wonder how much he loved them. His beautiful heart also extended to his sons' friends, his daughters-in-law, and his two grandchildren Graham and Cora who were his joy to be around daily from their births to his passing.
David had a passionate interest in music from a young age. Throughout his life he collected tens of thousands of records, with a deep love of folk music and big band swing, and favorites from Burt Kaempfert to Dean Martin to the Kingston Trio to Judy Collins. In retirement, he also began collecting and tinkering with old and unique record players.
His other main retirement project was being the family genealogist for both his family and Sherri's, archiving and scanning old photos and letters, organizing data and digging up historical connections. He loved learning about his Viking ancestors and finding links to them through family lineage. And he cherished a visit to Norway in 2016 to visit family who still live where his grandparents came from – the Bjorland family from Evje (his mother's side) and the Dalen family from Hattfjeldal (his father's side).
David's most cherished family heirloom was the log cabin on the Bigfork River in northern Minnesota where his mother was born and raised and where he spent countless summers.
David is survived by his wife Sherri Nelson (née Thorness); son Matthew Nelson, daughter-in-law Jenny Wolf, grandson Graham, and granddaughter Cora; son Stephen Nelson and daughter-in-law Joanna Handzlik; sister Mary Ann Richardson of Kemp, TX; sister Laurie Flexhaug of Williston, ND; and many, many beloved cousins, in-laws, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Olga Nelson of Williston, ND; brothers Jerry and Michael; and adopted brothers Takafumi Hirose, Elwood Adams, and Jon Bjorland.
A memorial service will be held at Amundson Funeral Home in Grand Forks, ND, on Thursday, February 5 at 2:00 p.m. All friends and family are welcome. In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family asks for donations to the GRIN2B Foundation (https://grin2b.com/) in honor of Graham Nelson.