He was born Friday, May 8, 1953, in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Homer W. and Gwendolyn M. (Newlan) Nelson. John loved spending time with his family and he enjoyed singing. He was one that never met a stranger and he enjoyed the classic luxury cars. John was an Independent Insurance Agent in the Anderson area for several years with the Jim “King” Nelson Insurance Agency. He was a member of the Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall in Muncie and Anderson. John honorably served his country in the U.S. Army.