Charles and Deane Nelson in about 1970.

Editor’s Note: The following was written some years ago as a tribute to Charley and Deane Nelson, pioneer family of the peninsula who lived at Nahcotta. Both had recently passed away. Dale Little, Sydney Stevens mother, died in 2009

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Editor’s Note

Editor’s Note: The following was written some years ago as a tribute to Charley and Deane Nelson, pioneer family of the peninsula who lived at Nahcotta. Both had recently passed away.

“I saw you coming,” Charley said, as he opened the door. I was late, and he was probably beginning to wonder if I had forgotten to bring him his dinner.

Friends and well-wishers always tried to see that Charley was well taken care of when Deane was having one of her bouts in the hospital.

Charley is 92 and has begun to fail noticeably over the last year. Even so, though he can hardly see and his hearing is becoming more and more difficult, he keeps his priceless sense of humor. He and Deane — his 88-year-old wife — are certainly the most beloved of all the people on our isolated peninsula. They are childless, but have an abundance of friends and admirers. I seldom drive by their place that they are not having visitors. Though Deane has been a cripple for forty years, up to this day they have never had help in the house.

They are both so independent, it is difficult to do much for them.

Right now Charley says, “I’ve always taken care of her and I can do it this time.

“As I went in I said, ‘I guess you’re happy, Charley that Deane will be home tomorrow.’

“It will be one of the best days of my life — that and the day I married her,” he said. He had come near losing her this time.

Then he added, “What is Pledge?”

“If you are talking about what I think you are, Charley, it’s a furniture polish — what did you want it for?”

“I want to squirt it around to freshen the air. I’ve been cooking bacon and eggs and I want the house to smell good when Deane gets here.”

“Show me where you keep it, Charlie, and I’ll see if I’m right.”

He took me to a back utility room — everything was in apple pie order. He pointed to a can on the counter and said, “I know Deane uses that, but I didn’t know for exactly what.” It was Pledge all right.

I said, “If you let me look, Charley, maybe I can find what you want.” He pointed to the cupboard. I found the air-freshener without any problem and handed it to him.

“This is what you want, Charley, it’s the tall thin can, but you had better keep it out so you won’t have any trouble finding it.”

As I had entered the utility room I had noticed two beautiful bouquets — evidently just picked.

“Did you go out and get the flowers yourself, Charley? I love apple blossoms.”

“Yes,” he said. “I wanted to beat the rain. I proposed to Deane under an apple tree out on the old Andrews place 69 years ago this month. I loved her then — she was beautiful — and I’ve loved her more each year since. It’s been love all the way.

“I’m going to make her one of my big mulligan stews tomorrow. We both go for one of my big stews — two gallons of it. I cook it all day.”

“What do you put in it Charley?” I was curious.

“In the old days we had to use canned beef because we hardly ever had fresh meat unless someone had just butchered, but now I use regular stew meat, but I put everything in it — every vegetable on the market.”

I went away worrying at first about Charley managing the stew without being able to see and then I realized that it would probably taste better to both of them than any meal they ever had. They were together again — still together after 66 years of love and being loved by all who know them.