One of the benefits of working with the pallet industry is the great relationships that I have enjoyed. Of all the pallet manufacturers I have had the pleasure of knowing one who stands out to me is Bill Nelson from West Monroe, Louisiana, of Nelson and Sons, Inc.
Bill was an exceptional man who made a major impact on my life. Everything that Bill touched grew and benefited from his influence.
Bill was born on July 27, 1934 and passed away on January 31, 2016 after a prolonged illness. Bill is survived by the love of his life, Linda Lou Taylor Nelson. I have known very few couples who have shown stronger professional personalities and radiated the positive Christian principles that Bill and Linda exhibited.
Bill not only ran a professional pallet company, he was an active member of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, where he served on the board and as a president (now called chairman of the board). Bill obtained a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Louisiana Tech University in 1957, worked for Humble Oil/Exxon, and later returned to West Monroe to join with his father in building a more successful family business. He used his engineering abilities to develop some new machinery for their business and earned several patents.
An active alum at Louisiana Tech, Bill served as president of the Louisiana Tech Foundation where he worked to help plan and implement a $50 million fund raising campaign. He served on a number of different board of directors in his community and was honored with a number of awards from his community and university.
Certainly his most outstanding characteristic was his commitment to Christ and his active life in spreading his spiritual beliefs to others. Bill served as a faithful member of First Baptist Church of West Monroe where he held a variety of leadership positions, including serving as a deacon. As chairman of the building committee he helped lead the construction of the current worship center. Bill shared his personal testimony with many people.
Bill is survived by his devoted wife Linda of fifty-five years, four children and their spouses and seven grandchildren. He will be missed by all who were blessed by his life, but we are better people because of him.
