Life Care Center of Morgan County resident shares life wisdom

Leo Nelson, a 103-year-old resident at Life Care Center of Morgan County in Wartburg, Tennessee, has garnered much wisdom over his long, full life.

Born and raised in Catoosa, Tennessee, Leo has never lived outside of a two-mile radius from where he grew up. He owned and ran a dairy farm there for more than 25 years until his retirement in the 1980s. He is no stranger to hard work and attributes his long life to that. Years of fresh air and manual labor have kept him young and healthy.

Leo had a wonderful marriage that lasted for 71 years before his wife passed away in 2010. He has five children, six grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren, who have all gleaned much wisdom from him throughout the years. Leo was known throughout his community as someone who could always be counted on to help someone in need. Because of his reputation, the community was also willing to help him if he was ever the one in need, which continues today. Honesty and dependability – those are the characteristic traits Leo would like to leave behind with his great-great-grandchildren.

Leo’s daughter, Diana, said she learned a valuable lesson from her parents’ long marriage.

“Stay with it,” Diana said. “Don’t give up and run.”

There is always an easy way out in life, but Leo Nelson would never suggest taking it. Hard work and perseverance are what have brought him this far, and he still has much more wisdom to give.