Donor Profiles:
Carl F. Nelson, 33°
& Leslie A. Nelson

Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°
Director of Development

Barbara G. Golden
Director of Planned Giving

Photo: ©Maxwell MacKenzie, Washington, D.C.

Carl and Leslie Nelson have each made generous contributions to the Scottish Rite, the third such husband and wife donors.

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Carl and Leslie Nelson are proud of the new RiteCare Childhood Language Clinic in Elk River, Minnesota. It is truly a state-of-the-art facility, designed especially for children and specifically for the activities involved in helping children learn to speak. According to Carl, their motto is “The sky’s the limit,” reflecting the hopes and dreams that all parents have for their children. Just a few months after the clinic opened its doors, a capital campaign was begun to raise $3.6 million to endow the financial future of the clinic, and, it is hoped, to encourage the opening of additional clinics in Minnesota. If you, or someone you know, could consider making an extraordinary gift to help kids communicate, please contact David Kampf, Fundraising Chairman at 952-938-1479, or mail your check payable to RiteCare Clinics of Minnesota, c/o Greg Arnott, Clinic Treasurer, 4620 W. 77th St., Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55435-4919.

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On October 21, 2004, Ill. Carl F. Nelson, 33°, and his wife, Leslie, (center) presented a donation to Ill. Jerry B. Oliver (right), SGIG in Minnesota, in support of the charitable endeavors of the Scottish Rite, Valley of Minneapolis, and to Ill. Earl E. Ihle (left), Director of Development, for the charitable endeavors of the Scottish Rite, Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction.

Carl F. Nelson, 33°

“ The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

“ Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
have the wisdom to show restraint.”
Proverbs 23:4 (NIV)

These two quotes have inspired Carl Nelson, and to them he has added one of his own, “Helping kids to become functional in society and to have a chance for normal, happy lives by helping them overcome difficulties in communication is perhaps the most important thing I can do.” We are pleased this month to profile Carl and Leslie Nelson, our third recognition of husband and wife donors. The Nelsons have each pledged over $1,000,000 (to be satisfied by bequests in their wills) to the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, and RiteCare Childhood Language Clinic in Elk River, Minnesota.

Carl does not consider himself to be in the league of major donors, but he gives generously of his time, talent, and fortune on a scale that is way above average. His philosophy is to try to leave this world a better place than it would have been without him. Every child the Scottish Rite helps, especially in Minnesota, is fulfilling his wish.

He comes from a conservative, middle-class background, and grew up the son of an automobile dealer in Mankato, Minnesota. Carl’s home environment taught him that hard work and innovation were the ways to achieve. Born in 1924, Carl has seen much of the twentieth century and participated in its growth by investing wisely in the stock market.

After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in economics, Carl joined the U.S. Air Force, training as a paratrooper and ending up a supply officer. He served three years in the German Occupation during the 1950s and achieved the rank of Captain. Returning home, he studied law at the University of Minnesota, but couldn’t resist an offer to join Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker trainee. He went on to spend forty years advising others about stocks and bonds.

By the time Carl joined Merrill Lynch, he was already a Master Mason. He joined the Wiesbaden Square and Compass Club while in Germany, and he is now a life member of that club and many other Masonic bodies: Scottish Rite, Royal Order of Scotland, Scottish Rite Research Society, National Sojourners, and Lake Harriet Lodge No. 277 in Minneapolis. He is also a member of Zuhrah Shrine. Last year Carl, a 54-year Mason, was honored by receiving the 33rd Degree, Inspector General Honorary. Carl’s father, also a Carl and a Mason, would have been very proud of his son, just as Carl is proud of his son who has recently joined the fraternity.

A few years ago he sat in the east as Worthy Patron of Lake Harriet Chapter No. 202, Order of the Eastern Star, when his wife, Leslie, was Worthy Matron. Here he shone brightly as an orator and fount of trivial knowledge. His mother, Laura, would have been pleased with this accomplishment, as she was a member of the Eastern Star for 50+ years and a Past Matron.

For many years Carl has been serving as Treasurer of the Board of the Minneapolis Valley Scottish Rite Foundation. He is the founder of the newest RiteCare Clinic in Minnesota and is serving as Vice President on the Board of Scottish Rite Childhood Language Clinics of Minnesota.

Carl is concerned that younger people do not donate enough of their wealth. Current research shows that the nation’s richest 1%, who own 41% of the country’s wealth, donate only 2% of their incomes each year to charity, as opposed to 6% from families in the bottom income bracket!

He applauds Bill and Melinda Gates, the largest international donors, and Michael and Susan Poll, who are giving monies away while they are still young. Carl agrees with the top philanthropists that the value of solving problems today is great. He says, “By giving now, I have the satisfaction of seeing the difference I have made.”

But Carl, like many others with limited wealth, realizes that estate planning is the most effective way for him to maximize his impact on those charities in which he believes. He has not forgotten his son, Bob, his daughter, Carrie, nor his four grandchildren, but is motivated to help those who otherwise would not have opportunities to succeed. He has already set up charitable trusts for Lutheran Social Services and has donated his father’s farms to Gustavus Adolphus College. The American Swedish Institute will be another major recipient of Carl’s estate. He is grateful to his ancestors for choosing to live in the greatest country known to mankind, and wishes to preserve the history of the immigrant experience that all cultures share. Cancer research is also important to Carl, and he is providing a major gift to the Masonic Cancer Center Fund.

Leslie A. Nelson

Leslie Nelson’s second life, and introduction to Masonry, began in 1985 when she met Carl. Married in November of that year, they began indulging in their one extravagance—traveling. Within six months, Carl took her to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Japan. Many trips and fifteen cruises later, they are “all flown out” for the time being.

The Nelsons spent countless hours getting the RiteCare Clinic in Elk River, Minnesota, off the drawing board and opened in 2004. Now that the clinic is in operation, they are concentrating on a major fundraising campaign to build up the endowment and ensure that Childhood Language Clinics in Minnesota will flourish for many generations of children.

Leslie was born in Minneapolis in 1942, the third child of a Lutheran minister. During her high school years, the family moved to Mt. Prospect, Illinois, but Leslie continued living in the dorm at Bethany Lutheran High School in Mankato, Minnesota. A few years later she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mankato State University with a major in mathematics and a minor in business education. Returning home to her family in Illinois, she worked as a Systems Engineer for IBM, married, and raised two daughters in Glenview.

Too many snowy, cold winters finally convinced her to move to Naples, Florida. Here she made friends with another Minnesota woman who just happened to have a brother back in Minneapolis who was a good friend of Carl Nelson. So, the connection was made via telephone on Mother’s Day in 1985, and Carl flew down to Ft. Myers for the 4th of July weekend. When he met the “IBM Lady,” Carl didn’t stand a chance. On the day before Thanksgiving Leslie and Carl were married. Leslie says, “Since 1985, Thanksgiving has been very special to me. The Lord has truly blessed me with the most wonderful husband.”

Perhaps that deep happiness explains her desire to be generous to others. Sharing is a way of thanking God. “Doing volunteer work and making contributions to our favorite charities during our lifetimes, as well as through estate planning, gives our lives a meaning and a purpose that truly blesses us as much as the recipients.” Significant portions of her estate are designated for the Julian G. and LaTona M. Anderson (her parents) Scholarship Fund at Bethany Lutheran College and the Minnesota Masonic Home.

Leslie enjoys volunteering at the American Swedish Institute, and even more so at the Minnesota Masonic Home. “It’s a wonderful place to be, and I look at it as possibly our future home.” In the meantime, there is much to do, moving forward on projects, and maybe a few more trips, including visits to her daughters, Laura and Valerie, in Georgia and North Carolina.
After marrying Carl and moving back to Minnesota, Leslie switched careers and joined Carl in his brokerage business. Within a few years she earned a degree as a Certified Financial Planner and eventually become a Vice President of Investments at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

Their lifestyle hasn’t changed much over the years. While successful, they are definitely not in the “country club set.” They own one small car and live in a modest condominium. Elderhostels are one of their favorite ways of vacationing, and while overseas, they usually travel using rail passes. Leslie doesn’t even have a cleaning lady, but then “Carl is pretty neat.”

- Our Development Team -

Barbara G. Golden, Esq., is the team's Director of Planned Giving. Barbara is an attorney with experience in tax, corporate, and commercial real estate law. She managed a non-profit legal services organization for several years and has extensive experience in fund-raising, grant writing, and program operations. Contacts: Tel. 202-777-3163; Fax 202-884-0183; or call 1-866-GIVESRF (448-3773) Toll Free; bgolden@srmason-sj.org.

Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, is the team's Director of Development. He has been a member of the Fraternity for 30 years and served in 1978 as Master of Lafayette Lodge, #111, Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a member of Boumi Shrine Temple in Baltimore, the York Rite, and a dual member of the Scottish Rite Valleys of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Contacts: Tel. 202-777-3143; Fax 202-884-0183; or call 1-866-RITECARE (748-3227) Toll Free; eihle@srmason-sj.org. Dr.Thomas M. Boles, GC, is the team's Advisor on Philanthropies. A member of the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Ana Valleys, he has worked extensively in fund-raising for children's programs throughout our Fraternity. Contacts: Tel. 562-691-4227; Fax 562-691-5327; or call 1-800-SRMASON (776-2766) Toll Free; tboles@srmason-sj.org.