Elijah Nelson

“Our joys will be greater, our love will be deeper, our life will be fuller because we shared your moment.” Elijah (Sonny) Nelson was born on November 14, 1942 in Rimini, South Carolina. Elijah brought great joy, deep love, and devotion to everyone that came in contact with him. First, to his parents, Maryann Adams and Murray Nelson and then to the world. Elijah loved his family unconditionally. This kind of love was modeled for him by his parents, and he followed this model of prioritizing family throughout all the days of his life. Elijah was very devoted to his siblings. He loved them very much and he exhibited this love through acts of kindness towards them. Elijah was a very loyal and hardworking man. One of his favorite motto’s was “Only the Strong Survive”. Elijah’s parents also instilled in him the love of God and Elijah always maintained a spiritual life through daily prayer. As a young adult, Elijah sang in the church choir and one of his favorite songs to sing was titled “It’s Me It’s Me It’s Me Oh Lord, Standing in the Need of Prayer”. Elijah completed his formative schooling in Summerton, South Carolina. He then moved to New York, New York to begin his life as an adult. Upon moving to New York, Elijah met the love of his life, Ellenora Nelson. Elijah and Ellenora’s first meeting was at Ellenora’s family church in Rimini, South Carolina. However, they reconnected again once they were both residing in New York and a romance bloomed. Elijah’s love of family would extend to him finally having a family of his own to nurture and love. Elijah & Ellenora were married on March 18, 1967. Elijah’s career path lead him to work at Whitestock Corporation as a professional butcher from 1967 until his retirement in 2009. He enjoyed working at his job and he was a valued employee that was well respected by his colleagues. Elijah Nelson was a staunch believer in the phrase “Knowledge is Power”. Although Elijah Nelson was a man of humble beginnings, he took pride in giving his children the educational opportunities that he never had. Elijah loved his family dearly and he was relentless in teaching his children how to become productive men and women. Elijah’s humble beginnings did not stop him from providing his children with access to the best education that his money could buy. Elijah understood the importance of instilling faith, morals and values coupled with a strong educational foundation in his children. Elijah and Ellenora were officially ushered into parenthood on August 20, 1967 with the birth of their first-born child, Kelvin Tracy Nelson. Kelvin excelled in school and enjoyed participating in and watching sports with his dad. Elijah was a huge Yankees and Mets fan and he influenced his son to follow in his footsteps in supporting these teams. Elijah and his first born enjoyed wearing sports paraphernalia, as well as attending many sporting events together. Elijah was very proud of the many accomplishments of his son Kelvin, especially his achievement of graduating from the New York City Police Academy in 1993 and later retiring from the police force in November 2018. On August 9, 1968 Michelle Nelson, the second child of Elijah & Ellenora Nelson, was born. Michelle Nelson was the apple of her father’s eye and epitomized the phrase “Daddy’s Girl”. Like her older brother, Michelle Nelson excelled in school and subsequently became an Assistant Principal for the New York City Department of Education. Elijah & Ellenora’s family was finally complete with the birth of Devin Elijah Nelson on August 15, 1987. Devin, just like his older siblings excelled in school. Devin and his dad were like two peas in a pod. Devin and his dad enjoyed watching sports while enjoying their favorite dishes prepared by Ellenora. Elijah was very proud of Devin as his baby boy and he and Devin shared many laughs together. On Thursday, September 8, 2022, the Lord called Elijah Nelson home. He was preceded in death by his parents, Maryann Adams Nelson and Murray Nelson; daughter-in-law, Victoria Nelson; sisters, Ruth Ann Briggs, Mary Pressley, Venus Mc Knight, Albertha Ragin, and Alice Gibson; and brothers, Murray Nelson Jr. and Isaac Nelson. Elijah leaves many hearts broken and just as many lives fuller to have been in his presence. He leaves to cherish his memory, his loving wife, Ellenora Nelson; two sons, Kelvin Tracy Nelson and Devin Elijah Nelson; one daughter, Michelle Nelson; one granddaughter, Sierra Veronica Nelson; one grandson, Elijah Kelvin Nelson; three sisters, Eliza Lawyer, Laurena Thompson, and Josephine Holiday; four brothers-in-law, Eddie Parker, Melvin Parker, James Parker, and Elvis Parker; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Parker and Carolyn Parker; as well as a host of cousins, nephews, nieces other relatives and friends.

Elijah Nelson

November 14, 1942 - September 8, 2022

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