Wendell Joseph Nelson, age 49, of Oakwood, Oklahoma passed away May 17, 2023, at OU Trauma Center following an accident earlier in the month.  Wendell was born to Mark and Sharon Nelson, in Elk City, Oklahoma on February 7, 1974.  When Wendell was a young child, he fell in love with archaeology when a woolly mammoth was discovered on his grandfather's land.  He spent countless hours helping the team unearth prehistoric treasures.  He also enjoyed flint picking (finding arrowheads), hunting and fishing.

Wendell was a 1992 graduate of Taloga High School.  He attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University receiving a degree in History.  He then attended the University of Oklahoma where he earned a degree in Anthropology.  After graduating from OU, Wendell worked on various dig sites throughout the United States.  In 2007, Wendell began working for the USPS where he was still employed upon his passing. Wendell was very proud of the fact that he lived in the home he grew up in and referred to the area as "Paradise Valley".

Wendell met Shelby Yates on July 19, 2014, and they had recently become engaged.

Wendell is survived by fiancé Shelby and daughter Daphne of Oakwood, OK, his mother Sharon Nelson of Oakwood, brother Mark Nelson and wife Kristi of Yukon, Ok, and sister Melissa Morgan and husband Jason of Guthrie, Ok.  He also leaves behind nephews Mark Ryan Nelson, Liam Morgan, and Kaleb Nelson, a niece Olivia Morgan, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends.

Wendell was preceded in death by his father, Mark R. Nelson, paternal grandparents Mark and Elizabeth Nelson, and maternal grandparents Wendell and Elsie Hajny.

Wendell will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and the communities of Oakwood and Fay.