George Nelson—pictured here at a Cook County Visitors Bureau event in 2011—will be greatly missed.
George Nelson, “Bub,” to his many friends on the North Shore and in the skiing community, died at home on Friday, May 9, 2014. Nelson leaves behind his loving family, a legion of friends and a lasting legacy in the community he loved.
As recently as last fall, while battling cancer, Nelson was promoting his community. He and his wife Patti joined a number of dignitaries from around the region at a gathering at Superior National at Lutsen, the golf course that came to be because of a 365-acre donation of land from the Nelson family.
Nelson was delighted at the latest plans to improve the golf course, fulfilling his vision of a year round recreation area in Lutsen. He was pleased to see the culmination of plans for a world-class golf course to complement the scenic Lutsen Mountains ski hill.
Before heading out to the golf course to get the construction started by turning the first shovel of dirt himself, Nelson spoke of his family’s ties to Lutsen and the challenges of his World War II military service with the U.S. Army’s famed 10th Mountain Division.
George was the grandson of Charles Axel Nelson, who founded Lutsen Resort in 1885. In 2010, when the resort celebrated its 125th anniversary, George spoke about growing up at the resort, which was operated by his grandparents and later his parents, George Nelson Sr. and Inga Toftey Nelson. He remembered mowing the lawn for a dime or a quarter and when he was older, working as a bellhop.
At the age of 18, Nelson left the North Shore to serve his country, training at Camp Hale, Colorado for 18 months in preparation for combat in the rugged Apennine Range of Italy. The 10th Mountain Division played a vital role in the liberation of Northern Italy, but the losses were crushing. At the October golf course groundbreaking, Nelson recalled many friends lost. He said that his unit saw 70 percent casualties. “I didn’t know if I would make it home. I decided if I did, I would pitch the idea of a ski resort to my dad,” he said.
George Nelson survived the war and returned to the United States, attended the Michigan State University and earned a degree in hotel management. He then came back to his beloved Lutsen to build a ski hill. Lutsen Mountains started in 1948 with two runs—Hari Kari and Chickadee—and a towrope. Nelson continued to grow the ski hill, bringing in snowmaking equipment, chair lifts and exciting new runs in the 1960s. The Alpine Slide was added in 1977.
When his parents retired in 1965, they turned the business over to George Jr. and Patti and the resort grew—in part to keep up with the lodging needs of the successful ski hill. In the late 1960s a conference hall and seminar rooms were added. In 1969, the Sea Villa townhomes were built three miles down the shore, complete with seaside decks. The Nelsons sold the resort in 1988 and George was active in developing lodging properties as a partner in Lutsen Development Company.
In recent years, although retired from resort operation and lodging development, Nelson stayed involved in the community, attending Lutsen town meetings to share his thoughts on pending Highway 61 construction or Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) meetings to offer suggestions. He took part in North Shore Fishing Museum events and golfed in the North Shore Health Care Tournament.
In 2009, George and his daughter, Cindy, made another major contribution to the Lutsen community with a donation of land to the township for an expansion and improvements to the Lutsen Cemetery.
In 2010, George and Patti attended the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Lutsen Resort, sharing memories with current owners Scott Harrison and Nancy Burns, as well as former guests, employees and a host of friends. At the celebration, George said, “I have a lot of pride in being a part of the Nelson family that started it.”
Nelson was also on hand at the inaugural Lutsen 99er mountain bike race in June 2011, delighted that another event had been created to fulfill his vision of a year round resort. Nelson started the race and then called out to the riders as they sped off, “See you next year. You’ll be back, I know you will!”
All of these activities and accomplishments were why, on that October 2103 day at Superior National at Lutsen, Senator Tom Bakk presented the Cook County Chamber of Commerce “Visionary” award to George Nelson. The award was given “in recognition of that long ago vision of a four-season recreation area on the beautiful North Shore.”
It was one of many awards earned by George Nelson over the years, but he accepted it with great pride, he said, because it came from his friends and neighbors. It was richly deserved, as was the standing ovation that followed for the man who left an unforgettable legacy in Lutsen and far beyond.
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