- Menasha - Hugh Francis Nelson, age 91, Appleton Attorney and Calumet County Circuit Court Judge, died on August 11, 2018, a resident of the Village of Harrison, Calumet County, Wisconsin.
Hugh was the fifth of six children born to Lewis F. Nelson and Clara (Philipps) Nelson of Kaukauna. His sisters Peggy (Peter, Jr.) Metz, Jane (Richard) Ber, Louise (Gilbert) Anderson and Sally (Ever) Hammes and older brother, David L. (Rita) Nelson all preceded him in death, the latter at age 96 in 2017.
Hugh was raised in Kaukauna where he attended St. Mary School. As a youth he was active as a Boy Scout earning 30 merit badges including all necessary for Eagle Scout status. A very good swimmer, he was employed by the city of Kaukauna as life guard at its Fox River swimming facility while he was in high school. A frequent Honor Roll student at Kaukauna High School, he was a member of the track team and All Conference Center on the 1944 football squad.
Upon graduating high school, he enlisted in the US Navy and was sent to Westminster College, Fulton MO as part of the Navy's V-5 program for navy pilots. At the war's end in the Pacific, he was sent to Guam in the Marianas Islands. After his honorable discharge, he attended St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Law School at Madison. He practiced law in Appleton from 1953 to 1979 and was a member of the Wisconsin, American, Outagamie County and Calumet County Bar Associations, the Outagamie Bar Association Grievance Committee and was president of the Outagamie Bar Association in 1972-73. He served as director of the High Cliff Forest Park Association, as chairman of the Waverly Sanitary District and as Vice Chairman of the State Bar Professional Responsibility Committee District 10 prior to his election as judge.
Hugh was elected Calumet County Circuit Judge and served from 1980 to 1992. He was Deputy Chief Judge 4th Judicial District from 1986 to 1989 and Chief Judge 4th Judicial District from 1990 to 1992. After his retirement from the bench, he was a Reserve Judge and Mediation and Arbitration Practitioner for 10 years.
Hugh and Jean Ginnow of Appleton were married on September 29, 1956 and would have celebrated 62 years of marriage in September. They have two daughters, Linda (Ralph) De Marco of the Village of Harrison, WI and Nan (Harold) Cramer of Bellaire, TX. Three granddaughters; Kaylin De Marco (Matt) Schueler, Lauren De Marco (Zac) Chilson, Michelle De Marco and great granddaughter, Callie Chilson.
Hugh and Jean traveled extensively to all but three of the US states, Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and Canada. Hugh was an avid reader, historian and enjoyed caring for his long-time Lake Winnebago lakeshore property.
A heartfelt thank you is extended to all his caregivers at ThedaCare Appleton Medical Center, St. Paul Home Hospice and ThedaCare at Home (Lisa).
A private memorial is planned at a later date for family and friends.
Published in Appleton Post-Crescent from Aug. 14 to Aug. 19, 2018
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Abt 1927 - 2018 (~ 91 years)
Education - High School
