Josiah Tate Nelson

Our beloved Josiah Tate Nelson, 42, of Nampa, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on October 17, 2019 after a four-year battle with brain cancer.  

From an early age Josiah's heart was to nurture and make things beautiful.  He started by raising and showing birds on the family farm and continued throughout his life tending plants and beautifying everything (and everyone) he touched.  Josiah made friendships wherever he went - from Nampa to Los Angeles to Kansas City and back again.  Josiah invested in relationships and valued being present with each person.  Until the end, Josiah kept us laughing with his quick wit and infectious personality.  His faith was real - through his un-filtered life his hope in Jesus persevered until the end.  His prayer was "heal me or take me home".... we are confident he is both healed and home.  Josiah was born to Jody and Janelle Nelson on October 9 1977.  He graduated from Nampa High in 1995 and received a Bachelor of Science from NNC in 2000.  He later went on to pursue a Doctoral degree from Biola University.  Josiah used his eye for beauty throughout his life remodeling homes, landscape design, and later in his tile work.  We are convinced his dance moves inspired the likes of Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and perhaps Elvis himself.  Si, we always knew you were in the room... you were larger (and louder) than life.  Your sheer volume will never be muted in our memories of you.  Every time we recite one of your one-liners or recall a funny story about you, you will be with us... and we will never forget how good you smelled. 

Josiah is survived by his parents, Jody and Janelle Nelson of Nampa, his sister, Jolena Owen of Boise (Drew, Frankie, and Fisher), his brother, Jaman Nelson (Christen, Rawly, and Posie), numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless life-long friends.

A Celebration of Life Service for Josiah will be held Saturday, October 26 at First Church of the Nazarene in Nampa at 11AM.           

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your church or charity of choice in Josiah's name.  

                                           Shabbat Shalom Our Beautiful Red Head

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Josiah Tate Nelson, please visit our floral store.