Dr. Evans Nelson
Evans Nelson was born in Los Angles on
September 5, 1922. He attended High School at Stadium High School in
Tacoma, Washington. He was baptized at Temple on January 31, 1934 and
received into the church membership on February 4, 1934.
Evans Nelson was elected Christian Youth for
Christ President the first time in 1942. Evans served as the 22nd, (1942)
and 28th, 
(1950), presidents of the Columbia Youth Fellowship
(CYF,
formerly Baptist Young Peoples Union). [see 75 Years, p. 233] Dr.
Nelson was on a conference-wide committee of former CYF presidents that decided,
in 1957, to create the position of "Christian Education and Youth
Director" for the Columbia Conference. He was a bright young man
receiving the Bausch and Lomb Science Award when he graduated from High School
about 1940. Later he graduated from the University of Oregon Dental
School with honors being admitted to the national honorary dental fraternity,
Omicron Kappa Upsilon. While serving in the Navy during the Second World
War, he spent a year in Japan, as Chief of the Dental Service in a station
hospital. After he returned from the year in Japan, Dr. Nelson presented
the work in Japan by Baptist General Conference missionaries to conference
churches on the West Coast. On April 22, 1949, Evans married Marilyn Walker. She was of Scotch and
Irish background but was warmly welcomed into the Swedish Salstrom
family.
Besides devoting much of his spare time
to the Lord's work at Temple, Evans took part in the planning and development of
Lake Retreat. He was a member of the Columbia Baptist Conference Board of
Trustees that decided, in May 1946, to purchase the Raymer Resort on the south
shore of Lake Retreat for $25,000. In 1957 when the Baptist General
Conference held its annual meeting in Portland, Dr. Nelson served as the housing
chairman. He helped design the Linus Johnson Lodge at Lake Retreat in the
late 1950's and he started the annual tradition of a Memorial Day work
weekend. He was the 7th president of the "Columbia Brotherhood"
(about 1960). [See 75 Years. p.227] He started, along with Marilyn, the
annual fall CYF rallies to supplement the spring rallies. In 1964, was chairman
of the Columbia Baptist Conference Board of Trustees when Crossroads Baptist
Church in Bellevue, Washington was started. He also served on the Triad committees
that started McLoughlin Heights, Bethel, and Glisan Street Baptist
Churches. Dr. Nelson served as local chairman of
the organizing
committee for the 1984 Baptist General Conference Annual Meeting held in
Portland, the largest BGC meeting ever.
Dr. Nelson has always been an upbeat and caring
person. Every one had great respect for Dr. Nelson. When he spoke,
it was for a purpose and we all listened. Together with Marilyn they watched over the spiritual up bringing
of the Young Married Class at Temple in the 1960's as sponsors. Evans and
Marilyn truly set the highest example of a Christian couple for us to mold our
lives after. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1999.
Click Here to
See the WW II Honor Roll
One of Evans and Marilyn's favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah
29: 11-13.
"For I know the plans
I have for you, '"declares the Lord,"' plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me
and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and
find me when you seek me with all your heart."