Farris Nelson

Born Friday the thirteenth of February 1925 to Crawford and Myrtle Nelson in Winter Garden, Florida. Farris graduated from Eldorado High School in May 1943. In July 1943 he volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corp. He was discharged in February 1946. He graduated from OU in August 1954 with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering. He worked for Gulf as a petroleum engineer until July 1957. In 1957 he accepted a position as field supervisor for Ambassador Oil Corporation.

On August 24, 1957, he married Maxine Bratton and immediately went from being a bachelor to a husband and father of two young boys, Richard and Donald Bratton.

During the next four years two more sons were born, Brian and Scott Nelson. Then in 1961 the family of six moved to Hobbs, New Mexico.

In 1975 he left Anadarko and established a pipelining company (Salta PVC) and started an oil and gas production company named Zia Energy Corporation.

Farris Nelson passed away peacefully August 2, 2022, at age 97.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Maxine Nelson, 2 daughters-in-law, Gay Bratton, and Rita Bratton. He is survived by 4 sons, Richard Bratton, Don Bratton, Brian Nelson (Kim), Scott Nelson (Nannette). He also leaves behind 10 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.