Roll Call Tribute

Tres Hewell Mortuary obituary
165 Tor Drive
Seguin, Texas 78155
(830) 549-5912
(830) 549-5918

Richard "Doc" Jens Nelson, DVM

Born: November 20, 1937
Died: June 18, 2015

Richard Jens “Doc” Nelson, DVM, age 77 of Seguin, passed away on June 18, 2015. Visitation will be held on Monday, June 22, 2015 at Tres Hewell Mortuary from 1 to 7 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Church with The Reverend Kevin Dellaria officiating. Interment with military honors will be held at San Geronimo Cemetery. Reception to follow at the Texas Agricultural Education & Heritage Center (The Red Barn). Richard was born on November 20, 1937 to Richard and Dorothy (Schmidt) Nelson at Fort Sam Houston. Being born into a military family, Richard was able to see the world and attend school in Japan and California, before coming back home to Texas. He graduated from Seguin High School and earned his degree in Veterinary medicine from Texas A&M University in 1962. Doc, as he was known, entered into the US Army in 1962 where he proudly served his country in the Vet Corps. Upon his discharge in 1964 as a Captain, he worked in South Texas for USDA until he started his own veterinarian practice. He practiced first in Uvalde, and later returned to Seguin to open Parkview Vet Clinic in 1968, where he practiced for 50 years. Doc especially loved taking care of and working with horses, but welcomed any animal that came through his door. He sold the clinic and semi-retired, working part time until his last call this past Tuesday. Doc was also well known around the Seguin Cattle Company auction, even marrying his wife Ernestine on Wednesday, April 18, 1990, just after the auction was over. Doc is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife, Ernestine; children Andrew Nelson and wife Amy, Julia Lesage and husband Bill, Celeste Grupman and husband Oleg, Barry Siltmann, and Lance Siltmann and wife Lana; grandchildren Jenefer, Alexis, Caitlin, Alyssa Siltmann, Hunter Herbold, James and Michael Nelson, Renton and Milo Grupman; brothers Stanley Nelson and wife Beverly, Tommy Nelson and wife Judy, and Dean Nelson; nephews Stephen, Daniel, William, and JR Nelson, as well as numerous other family members and friends. Pall bearers will be Mark Cerda, Joe Boswell, Bobby Hawkins, Richard Leber, Frank Pooley, Ken Castle, Tony Minor, and Brian Nickell. Honorary pall bearers will be Larry Ferguson, Doyle Lange, Shawn Finch, Clarence Jahn, Jim Osborne, Dr. Howard Wilson, Dr. Juan Garcia-Perez, Ray McCulloch, Benno Luensmann, Bob Marcellus, and all his devoted customers. Doc was more than a vet, he was a counselor and caregiver to every person who had the privilege to know him, and he will be truly missed. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 201 E. Nolte St., Seguin, TX 78155; the Guadalupe County Youth Show, P.O. Box 1400, Seguin, TX 78155; The Texas Agricultural Education & Heritage Center, 390 Cordova Rd., Seguin, TX 78155.