Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

John's Journey

Hello Gurdon! This is John Nelson, your new editor. I have spent the better part of my 45 years being a newspaperman and enjoy serving people. I try and find something good in everyone I meet.

I have owned four newspapers in Arkansas. The most successful was the Marmaduke Chronicle, a four-year venture from 1998-2002. That weekly newspaper made me a lot of friends and I have many pleasant memories about the people there.

A journalism and psychology graduate from Ball State University in 1982, at Muncie, Indiana, I grew up on a farm near that university with my Dad's parents, the late John and Marvel Nelson.

Hagerstown, Indiana was a rural community much like Gurdon. We were about 2,000 strong and we shared our hopes, dreams and glories. We also cried over each other's failures. In high school, I was a letterman on the golf team, in the band with a clarinet and trumpet, and in the National Honor Society.

High School was fun, and my grades in high school and college were good. I was admitted to law school in Indianapolis but elected to follow Mark Twain's lifestyle instead, writing for a dozen or so towns in Arkansas and Southern Illinois.This led to several wire stories and awards, but took its toll on four marriages to four very sweet ladies.

I have two biological daughters, Erin, 21, who is at Purdue Universirty in Indiana trying to become a veterinarian, and Kelley, 20, who is in St. Louis, Missouri helping her fianci get a roofing business off the ground.

I am separated from my current wife, Michelle, and have three step children; Charity, 17; Danielle, 16; and Jacob, 15. I hope you get to meet them, as I am very proud of the seven years I was an active part of their lives. They are currently with their mother in Oregon.

As for me, I live in Malvern and drive here every day. When I get a paycheck or two, I will move to Gurdon. I have been here since Monday, Aug. 16, 2004, and I believe it to be a nice town with a lot of reason to be proud of its progress. I am big on local news and will try to get all of your news, photos and advertisements in the current week's newspaper that reach me by Friday morning.

The earlier in the week you let me know of an event, the more timely I can be in covering it. To conclude, this column will tell you tidbits about my life and stress things I find positive about Gurdon. To start, your park out by the high school is great. I can't wait to go fishing out there and try my luck!

Well, until next week, this is John, still on a journalist's journey.