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No more Roger Nelson
Ward Dossche - 2:292/854
The last couple of years a morbid reality hit, if you saw your name
mentioned in an article here written by me, it meant you were dead.
Quite shocking.
Really, I have been writing too many obituaries and it uncovers a
reality about FidoNet ... it is dying, and so are we.
On Sept. 10th 2019 Roger Nelson of 1:3828/7 NCS BBS passed away from
reasons undisclosed but definitely natural.
Roger was 85 years old when he died. He was born in New Orleans, LA
and moved to Houma LA around 1985. He is survived by two sons and
a daughter. He has 4 grandchildren.
Roger had a computer repair shop called Nelson's Computer Service.
He retired around age 65, some 20 years ago.
His main hobby was fishing until his legs limited him from getting
in and out of the boat. After that he was rather reclusive and spent
most of his time watching classic movies and tinkering with computers
I was told.
Roger entered the nodelist Nov.15th 1991. But as is the case with
many of us, he had been active before as a user on a BBS and later
as a point. At least that's what he mentioned to me.
Roger was very modest but a man of many talents. We chatted a lot
about JFK being murdered (he was very close to the team of Jim
Garrison, the New Orleans District Attorney who was the only one
to bring someone to trial, without success), about fishing, about
the D'Bridge software and about anything else really. Aviation ...
of course.
He was a moderator of certain echomail conferences and though he
was accused by some of squatting echo-tags, if it really happened
that way, then after some careful consideration I think Roger did
it with the best of intentions in mind.
He could be so very human. Unknown to many Roger entertained links
to some sysops who were claimed to be controversial ... it was very
easy to get in arguments with Bob Seaborn or Roy Witt, but they were
on Roger's "friends-list" and I remember he was thoroughly shaken
when Bob Seaborn passed away. He had few friends, but those he had
were very loyal and highly trusted. If you were one of them, you
were blessed.
He loved a good Guinness, his favourite beer, and there were
endless discussions about Irish Guinness versus the English
counterpart ... it appeared it's even being brewed in the US. Then
I sent him a batch of Belgian 12-degree trappist ales. From that
moment on he figured trappist ales were the best.
Roger was a gentleman, you could agree with him or disagree, but
whenever we did we both agreed to disagree -- like men.
During my summer-stay this past July at Camp Fife BSA in
Washington-state Roger was admitted in a nursing home where tests
were going to be performed but he was going to go home after
receiving some physical therapy, or so he said. Although that may
have been correct, the fact is that both Nick Andre and I had been
noticing a shift in behaviour by Roger and we were getting really
concerned ... You know, when you've had this same scenario happen
with other people downplaying the seriousness of the situation, you
become suspicious.
After a lengthy exchange of ideas, mostly about the JFK-murder, of
course, this summer of 2019 I wrote him "... one day ... soon ...
shaking your hand in friendship is now on the top of my bucket-list"
... then came September 10th 2019 and Roger was no more.
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Original Roger Nelson quotes from netmail
Ward Dossche - 2:292/854
Here are some original Roger Nelson statements, verbatim, collected
over the years from netmail ... nobody saw them until now ...
On the murder of JFK...
"I believe certain high ranking officials know who were involved,
but we may never have anything more than our suspicions. In my
mind, all the pieces of the puzzle now fit, but it is my belief
that the public may never know because of the crisis that could
arise."
On sysops in Fidonet ...
"There are people in Fidonet I won't miss, but you aren't one
of them"
About the 2nd World War ..
"A lot of good men on all sides died in that stinking war --
in ALL wars."
On liking Roy Witt ...
"Of course I didn't, but he was a man worth knowing"
On the opportunity of him and I meeting (this was Oct.17 2017)...
"I'll be around for another 9-10 years, so I would like that, too"
On Joe Delahaye (sysop who passed away) ...
"When he passed, I felt as though I lost a lifelong friend. His
death hit me very hard. I can think of no finer tribute to pay
to someone I never met, but Joe was a special man"
On psychological wounds, real or perceived ...
"I wanted to get along with everybody. We all need each other,
but when that day arrives, I may not be around to see it"
On Jim Garrison...
"He is an honest man and I used to play gold with one of his
investigators"
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Roger Nelson's German Potato Salad
Ward Dossche - 2:292/854
Roger and I discussed food. He talked to me about a recipe for what
he called "German potato salad" that originated from his mother's
side of the family "and was a real treat to eat", or so he said. He
also volunteered "Sadly, mother couldn't teach either of my wives
to make it, although she did have some success with wife #2, who
declared it too difficult to make"
According to his late sister, who Roger claimed had a fantastic
memory, the recipe was as follows (verbatim):
2 lb. Irish potatoes (mother boiled them with the skin on for
easier peeling)
4 slices bacon (crisp)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. vinegar
4-6 hard-boiled eggs sliced (depending on the amount you want
to make, then you would have to adjust the
amount of potatoes and other ingredients)
Fry bacon while potatoes are boiling and place them on a plate
to drain; keep bacon grease for later use
When potatoes are boiled and skinned, cut them to the desired
size and place in large bowl. Crunch bacon and add it and the
rest of the ingredients (including hot bacon grease) and mix
thoroughly. The bacon grease holds everything together. I ate
it hot, luke-warm and cold. I liked it so much.
Season to taste.
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