Eugene W. Nelson, age 98 of Orland, CA, passed away July 6, 2019 in Chico, CA. Eugene was born October 30, 1920 in West Plains, MO to parents Jens Nelson and Mazie Wolf. He proudly served as a Captain in the Army Air Corps during WW2. On June 7, 1958 he married Ruth M. Nelson. They had 50 wonderful years of marriage before Ruth's passing in 2008. Eugene spent much of his life as a missionary. One of his greatest life highlights was his New Tribes Mission (Ethos 360) to Thailand. Through the years he worked for the Civil Service, Davis-Monthan AFB, and Tucson. Along with his missionary work, Eugene had many great passions. He enjoyed playing guitar and singing. He would sing often at the WestHaven Care Home. Eugene is survived by his daughters; Joy West (Daniel West) of Lisbon, Portugal, Rachel Wenger (Dwayne Wenger) of Morgantown, PA, son; John Nelson (Kay Nelson) of Orland, CA, grandchildren; Jason, Alisha, John Jr., Charity, Emily, Jeremy, Grant, and great grandchildren; Paul and David. All are welcome to join family for services.