Friday, February 12, 2021 - 11:00 am

St Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
1716 NW Davis St, Portland, OR 97209

You will be able to watch a livestreaming of the ceremony on this page, or on Vanport Mosaic Facebook page and YOUTUBE channels.

Order of events

Reading

John Y. Nelson

Shalaine Nelson

Pallbearers

Cody Cuny

Beau Cuny

Pierce Nelson

Scout Nelson 

John Y. Nelson

Lydell Suppah

Honorary Pallbearers

Sam (Huey) Nelson

Harold Culbertson

Rick Williams

Gordon Harvey

Thomas Harvey

Bill Zollinger

James Smith

Lonnie Smith

Alex Smith

Mike Cole

Brandon Culbertson

Following services police escorted procession

Interment at Willamette National Cemetery,
11800 SE Mt Scott Blvd, Happy Valley, OR 97086

UPDATE AT 1:48pm: Unfortunately we encountered technical difficulties with live stream from the grave site. We will post the recording shortly. If you wish to leave messages for the Nelson family scroll to the bottom of this page and send via that form, or feel free to send to info@vanportmosaic.org

When Joyce and Buzz received the Heart of the Community award in 2013, Joyce said, “If everybody helped everybody, it would be a much better world.” Joyce put others before herself and gave everything she had. If you were her friend, she freely gave you her loyalty, good humor, and hospitality that was hard to match.

Joyce is predeceased by parents Harry and Tillie Culbertson; son John Nelson; daughters Joanne (Poker) Nelson, Jeanine (Angie) Nelson, and grandson Chase Cuny; brothers Pierre Culbertson, Benjamin Culbertson, Joe Culbertson, and David Culbertson.

Joyce is survived by her husband of 63 years John (Buzz) Nelson, daughter Valerie Nelson, son Sam (Huey) Nelson, and 34 grandchildren (great and great-great), including grandson John Y. Nelson whom Joyce raised as her own child, brother Harold Culbertson, sisters Jo Zollinger, Karen Harvey, and Gloria Culbertson. Numerous nieces and nephews and close friends.  

Delores Joyce Nelson was born on February 4, 1935 on the Fort Peck IndianReservation in Poplar, MT to Harry and Tillie Culbertson. In 1943, the family moved to Milton, WA. In the summer of 1944, they moved to Vanport, OR where Harry and Tillie worked in the Swan Island shipyards. They resided in Vanport until the flood of 1948 when the family relocated to the Portland area. 

Joyce graduated from Lincoln High School in 1954. Throughout high school, she was a majorette with the LHS band and participated in the Portland Rose Festival Parade. When Joyce was 19, she attended Haskell Institute in Lawrence, KS and graduated from the business program in 1955. Upon graduation, Joyce’s first job was in Belcourt, ND as a secretary for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), she also worked at Fort Belknap, MT and Billings, MT for the BIA. While in the Denver area in 1956, Joyce said, “That’s where I met Mr. Right.”  Joyce met Buzz and married in 1957. Joyce and Buzz moved to Portland, OR in 1959 where Joyce continued her employment with the BIA.

Joyce was also active in the Portland Native community. Joyce was an original founding member of the Portland American Indian Center (PAIC), and remembered the sewing club, dances, and “picnics galore in the summer.” She was also a member of the PAIC Bowling Club; her team consisted of sister Jo, brother Harold, and father Harry. Joyce bowled on several Indian teams that also included Buzz, sisters Karen and Gloria, and daughter Val.

In 1969, Joyce attended meetings with Buzz that led to the creation of the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA). 

During 1972, Joyce worked as secretary in NARA’s first office on 31st and Division.  She also filled in as a temp-secretary at the Urban Indian Council (UIC). Joyce continued her employment at NARA until the passing of her father Harry in 1979. 

In 1982, Joyce and Buzz began holding community meetings in their home that led to the creation of the Concerned Indian Community (CIC). Under CIC two of Joyce's biggest community projects at Thanksgiving and Christmas, included giving generous food baskets to Indian families in need. Created from CIC meetings was the American Indian Association of Portland (AIAP).  In 2002, Joyce co-founded the Portland American Indian Elders where regular meetings focused on providing a positive, social atmosphere for Indian elders. The group regularly attended local tribes' functions in the Oregon and Washington areas. During the 80s and mid-90s, Joyce served on the NARA and AIAP Boards. She also served on the UIC Board as NARA’s representative during her employment with NARA.   

Joyce enjoyed people and gave to her community.  In earlier years, she visited Native prisoners in the Oregon Penitentiary, she started an Easter egg hunt in her front yard for her children, nieces, and nephews.  As the years passed, the event grew to over 200 people and had to be moved to the neighborhood park. 

Joyce enjoyed visiting and her home was open to all where she would offer a meal. She enjoyed playing games like bingo, Yahtzee, 31, 6-5-4, and poker with a big part of the games being the visiting and laughter.  She enjoyed shopping, as well as attending tribal elder gatherings. At times, with her husband Buzz, they provided a temporary home to those who needed one.  

Joyce and Buzz were honored by Low Income Housing for Native Americans of Portland Oregon (LIHNAPO) with the naming of Nelson Court Apartments in North Portland. In 2006, Joyce received the Spirit of Portland award.