Sharing Her Grandpa’s Love of RAGBRAI
- 27 April, 2012
- Jared
Every so often I receive an e-mail that really hits home. It came from a young lady who just lost her Grandpa after battling cancer and Alzheimer’s for years. She wanted to share her memories of the times she spend with her Grandpa and his love for RAGBRAI. I often say that RAGBRAI is more than just a silly old bike ride… that is certainly true for the Nelson Family.
I rode my first RAGBRAI when I was 17 and last year was my 10th. Since I was little, my family has participated in RAGBRAI. Everyone from my uncles,
aunts, cousins, and parents have all joined together in July to ride across our home state, and none of it would have ever come to be without my Grandpa, Dave Nelson. My Grandpa was the first in our family to bring up RAGBRAI and he got my dad and step mom to go with him nearly 19 years ago on their first trip across Iowa. After that the tradition of RAGBRAI began, and when I was old enough, I joined our team too. We are Norwegian, so our team is naturally called Team Uffda in honor of our heritage.
Not many kids are so lucky to spend time with their grandparents, let alone ride their bikes across a state with them…..several times, but I am fortunate enough to say that I rode next to my grandfather as we crossed the fields of Iowa, and ate our fair share of rhubarb pie too. I remember him once saying to me as we chugged up one of the route’s long hills on my first RAGBRAI, “Just spin. As long as we’re pedaling, we’re moving forward.” He wasn’t the fastest guy out on the road, but
by golly, Grandpa pedaled every last mile clear up until he turned 79 years old. I am so very thankful for those RAGBRAI memories with my Grandpa.
On Wednesday, April 18th, my Grandpa passed away. He had cancer and also suffered from Alzheimer’s, and after 5 years of fighting, it was time for him to done with that battle. Even in the last few months of his life, my Grandpa’s fondest memories that he shared were so often those memories from RAGBRAI. And even when he couldn’t remember what he had done an hour before, he could still remember specific details about most of the pass through towns in Iowa that he’d even gone through. When he could no longer speak well, all it would take to see him light up and maybe get a couple words out would be the mention of RAGBRAI or pie. He simply loved RAGBRAI with all his heart.
This year, in honor of my Grandpa, my family is of course, riding RAGBRAI, but we will each also take turns riding my Grandpa’s bike across Iowa once more. Since speed and weight weren’t much of a concern to Grandpa, we do not plan to make any alternations to his bike, such as remove the radio mounted on the handle bars or the giant pack over his rear tire (with three air pumps in it because everyone knows that two simply isn’t enough lol). We will ride Grandpa’s bike just as he would have and dip his tire in the Mississippi when we get to the other side.
My sharing the story of my Grandpa Nelson with you isn’t to get you to print anything in the paper, but I was hoping that in some way you might be able to help share my Grandpa’s love of this ride with others. As you might guess, my family is still trying to cope with the loss of my Grandpa, and all I can think to do right now is to honor him in whatever way I can, and sharing his story with you and the RAGBRAI community is one of those ways. I don’t know if you would be willing to post something on the website about him, in which case I’d be happy to email more photos, but in case you were needing an idea of something for the RAGBRAI page, I just wanted to put that out there.
My family appreciates greatly all you and everyone else who organizes this wonderful event every year do to make RAGBRAI great.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I have attached pictures of my Grandpa and one of our team for you.
Sincerely,
Krissy Nelson
Gretna, Nebraska
David Nelson was originally from the Lake Mills area, then moved to Storm Lake where he was a funeral director for over 50 years. He and his wife moved to their vacation home in Spirit Lake upon retirement. At the visitation, Grandpa’s Team Uffda jersey and his bike were on display.
The Nelson Family is hoping to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease by sharing their grandpa’s story. It is a disease that dismantles and kills thousands every year and they hope to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research. They plan to have a sign on the back of grandpa’s bike to let you know how you can help support the cause.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Nelson Family.
T.J. Juskiewicz, RAGBRAI Director
34 Comments
Submit a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Related Articles
-
4 days agoDid you know that every year there is a dedicated group of medical professionals who spend all of RAGBRAI with one purpose….to...
-
1 week agoThis week on the JustGoBike Podcast! The fourth and final episode in a series of great interviews with riders from all over the...
-
2 weeks ago
Murph caught up with more RAGBRAI LI riders to hear about their week biking across Iowa. This is the third episode in a series of...
That is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read.It hits close to home because my husband lost his mother to Alzheimer’s over 1 year ago.This will be my third Ragbrai.I met my husband Randy Giehls in 2009 and did my first Ragbrai in 2010.I will look for the Nelson family bike to see what we can do to help the cause.We do the Alzheimer’s walk in Cincinnati with my stepdaughter and her family.This story touched me because grandpa loved Ragbrai so much and still remembered everything about.You know he is still riding now in heaven and he will be there during this Ragbrai too.God Bless your family and everyone who rides this year!
Iremember seeing this team on the road. This letter brought tears to my eyes. I plan to ride my 21st RAGBRAI this summer and hope to run into this famiy on the road somewhere. Thanks for sharing such a special Story with us.
I have had the pleasure of coming to Iowa from Oklahoma two times to ride RAGBRAI and have many fond memories of the rides myself. Your story about your Grandfather and his love of the ride brought tears to my eyes. I will remember your family this year especially, as you share the ride together in honor of your Grandpa and build new memories together. God Bless!
Thanks for sharing- lovely story. Hope to see your team on the road!
What an inspirational story, thanks for sharing Krissy! He was a great role model. We’re a ‘ragbrai family’ too and i know how special it is to ride year after year together. Wonderful memories to you all!
What a great story. Love the seat! I will keep my eyes open for this bike:)
Great story. I hope you and your family hear many ”
Go Grandpa Nelson” cheers while on the road this Ragbrai. I know I’ll be looking out for Team Uffda to give you mine!
I didn’t have a grandpa who got me into ragbrai. I had a neighbor. He rode every; ragbrai until last year. This year he is in assisted living. Early Alzheimer’s
In the town I live in there were only two cyclist we used to joke about our bike club having 100% attendence.
He told stories about early rabrai coming through town & the little resturants didn’t know about it. Cyclist got up waited tables helped cook..
This year my club got cut by 50%
Oh behalf of the Nelson family (Team Uffda), I want to thank you all so much for the comments. It has been so touching to read your words today and I truly feel blessed to see the outpouring of support you are all providing my family. Sharing the story of my Grandpa’s love of RAGBRAI is the way I’ve personally been handling his passing- I just want people to know what a wonderful person he was and how proud I am to be his granddaugher.
I hope to see you all on the road, and I’ll try to keep people posted here on what my family’s plans in regard to raising awareness/funds for Alzheimer’s research. As of now we will have a sign on the back of Grandpa’s bike to futher share his story, but more is in the works….
Blessings to you all, and keep the rubber side down.
Wow – what a wonderful story. In the family ‘department’ your Grandfather was truly a lucky man. Also, in the family ‘department’ you were indeed blessed. I will be on high alert looking for your team. Alzheimer’s took my mother’s joy of life and finally her life some years ago. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks for sharing your story, what great memories you have of Ragbrai rides. I hope to get my grandchildren to do Ragbrai with me in the future!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for sharing. What a perfect wat to honor your grandpa. Hope to see you on the route!
Ride on Krissy! Many of us will be looking for your team in just a short time. You won’t be alone, we will help you all honor your grandpa all week long. I know he will be giving you a bit of an assist from above as you climb each hill. :)
What a beautiful story. As a long time RAGBRAI rider, who’s life was impacted by the ride, I can relate.
I am touched by this story. I’ve ridden nine Ragbrais driving back to Iowa from Missouri each time. My co-workers endure Ragbrai stories each year with the story telling increasing as July approaches. My roots in Iowa include a mother who was half Norweigian(Thompson) and half Danish(Nelson). When I get ready to move on from this life I hope to be able to tell my stories to those who would listen about Rhubarb pie and water slides. Good for you to keep your grandpa’s memories alive by this story.
Thanks for sharing your grandfather’s story. I grew up in Storm Lake and was a classmate of John Nelson.
Krissy:
I had the honor to know your grandfather not only on RAGBRAI, but aslo as a fellow funeral director. Two passions that we both shared our biking and our love for this profession. I have many fond memories of bumping into Dave on RAGBRAI, sometimes our team “Team Ciha Pet” stayed at the same funeral home as your team, always made for an interesting time. We will look for the Nelson tradition to continue, see you in July. Sorry for your loss, but thankful for your family to share such a class man!
Dan Ciha
P.S. Grandma is pretty special too!
I was deeply touched by your story and hope to see you and your family in July along the route. This will be my first Ragbrai ride and I’m looking forward to seeing and making many new friends.
Again, I really want to thank you all for your comments, support, and love. Words can’t express how touched my family and I are when we read your responses. We would like to meet as many of you on the road this July as possible, so please give us a shout if you see us.
As I mentioned before, we are currently working on some possible ideas to raise money for Alzheimer’s research while on RAGBRAI, and would appreciate any support in that effort.
More updates on that to come, but again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading about my Grandpa. My family just wants to share his story as a way to honor him.
Your story is very heartwarming.I hope your grandfather’s bike makes several more rides across this great state.I would have a extra piece of rhubarb pie for him as well.Have a great ride!!!
Krissy…I met you as a little girl while visiting your Grandparents at the funeral home. Your Grampa, Dave, worked with my Grampa, Morton. I adored mine as much. You are so dear to bring attention to this sad disease and I know that Dave would be so proud of you and the rest of the family Nelson, for making this year a tribute to all the years he so faithfully rode across your beautiful state. I was fortunate enough to see the group ride through Storm Lake in 2010. What an awesome sight to see ALL those riders! I even had a spagetti dinner at the Methodist church with some! I will never forget it. I so admired both your Grandparents and am so pleased to hear you all will share the trip and ride his bike. I know that would put a big smile on his always happy face. Blessings to you all and have a wonderful journey across Iowa 2012!
@Barbara- Thank you so much for that note. I truly apprciate it, and will share it with the rest of my family as well. I apologize that I’m just now sending a response back to you. I’ve been out of town a lot lately and haven’t had much time, other than for work purposes, to get on the computer. I hope you are all well and hope to see you again sometime in the future. Take good care, and thank you again for the thoughfulness. :)
To the great Dave Nelson family – What a beautiful tribute this is to Dave, your Grandpa, Krissy! It also is a tribute to the influence Dave’s zest for life and committment to core family values to love and care for each other had on his family. This strength reverberated into the community, their huge score of friends and business associates. Living life to the fullest is really what it’s all about. Thanks to Dave for teaching us all!
We thank each of you for who you are and what you represent and how you demonstrate to all who come to know you, how great life truly is. It is wonderful all the opportunities RAGBRAI offers so many from so many places. Cheers to the “TEAM UFDA” and “their Ride for Dad!”
From Jacque, who is so blessed to have shared your lives for so many years!
There is just one more thought that has to be said, “We all will always remember Dave’s deep belly laugh and his smile!”
Some poeple think angels are all girls who play harps. We know of a male who plays a tuba!
Krissy, We’ve never met but my parents and your grandparents were nearly life-long friends. One year when RAGBRAI went through Tama the team stayed with them.
Last year was my 1st RAGBRAI at age 49. I loved it so much my husband and I bought a bus this year and have 10 riders forming “Team Jazzed”. I hope to meet you somewhere along the route!
@Gina I hope to cross paths with you while on RAGBRAI. Thank you for the note.
@Jacque Thank you so much for that message. I really appreciate it, as does my family. My dad and I loved your line about the male angel who plays the tuba too! :) SO TRUE!
To keep everyone in the loop regarding my family’s plans to honor my Grandpa and raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association, please visit our Team Uffda blog: http://TeamUffda.blogspot.com.
Thanks!
Krissy,
My sisters and I spent the night with your family in 2012 and heard your grandfathers story first hand. I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed the air conditioning or the stories of the previous Ragbria’s. Those few hours we all spent together were wonderful and I cannot thank you enough for your support and friendship.
Team Tommy and the Goddesses
I know this web site offers quality based articles or reviews and additional data, is there any other web site which offers these kinds of stuff in quality?| tickets air flight http://www.funtraveldeals.com/book-flights/
Thanks for sharing such a pleasant opinion, paragraph is pleasant, thats why i have read it completely| agate cameos jewellery http://www.goldmemoriesforever.com
I delight in, cause I discovered exactly what I used to be taking a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye| tkff http://www.takeload.com
What’s Going down i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It absolutely helpful and it has aided me out loads. I’m hoping to give a contribution & help different users like its aided me. Good job.| foto nunti http://madvideo.ro/fotograf-de-nunta/
Many thanks for penning this exceptional put up..Liked your content. Please do retain writing Alternatives to Google search engine http://asdasghdsdfs5hf.com
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. It’s the most common cause of dementia — a group of brain disorders that results in the loss of intellectual and social skills. These changes are severe enough to interfere with day-to-day life. :`..”
My personal blog site
<http://www.caramoantourpackage.com