Augsburg Community Mourns Loss Of Sports Legend Edor Nelson

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Everyone associated with Augsburg College is mourning the loss of sports legend Edor Nelson, who died Wednesday at the age of 100.

Nelson reached his centennial birthday on Aug. 18, and Augsburg had a party for him on the Minneapolis campus. Nelson was able to attend and enjoyed every minute of it.

"You look at a lot of memories here," Nelson said. "It keeps you alive, thinking about old times, how much fun you've had."

Nelson told his son he was hoping to make it five more years.

"You never know, though," Nelson said, who noted that doing what he loved for so long helped him live a long life.

"Yes, that's important, keeps you in good condition," he said.

Nelson graduated from Augsburg in 1938 and coached the Auggies baseball and football teams for decades, including 22 years when he coached both teams at the same time.  He also started the Augsburg wrestling program and re-introduced ice hockey. That all came after the native of Dawson, Minn., served in World War II, where he managed to escape from a German POW camp in Poland.

The football complex at Augsburg has long been named Edor Nelson Field.