Daniel Lee Nelson (Danny) passed peacefully at home the evening of September 3rd, 2025, at the age of 69 after many years of extensive health issues. 

Danny was born on April 29th, 1956, to the late Daniel (DB) Nelson and Alice Brown Nelson in Greensboro, NC.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years Ann Farrington Nelson of Kernersville, daughters Danielle Nelson (Shawn Satterfield) of Kernersville, Kathryn (Katie) Nelson (Jeremy Brantley) of Castalia, NC, and sister Sally Nelson of Kernersville.

He was raised in Kernersville, NC and graduated from East Forsyth High School class of 1974. Danny grew his first crop of tobacco at 14 years old and realized he had a passion, like his father, to be a farmer. During his farming career, he expanded further than just tobacco. He was the first farmer in Forsyth County to own greenhouses and grow strawberries. He was a former President of the Forsyth County Tobacco Growers Association, long time member of NC Farm Bureau, and served on the advisory committee for the Forsyth County Cooperative Extension office. He would go on to receive the Excellence in Tobacco Production Award in 1996 along with being named Farmer of the Year in Forsyth County and awarded Outstanding Volunteer Award through the Horticultural and Agricultural program with NC Cooperative Extension Services. The best way to describe Danny Nelson would be a self-made man. He started with nothing in the early 70’s and worked to create what Nelson Farms LLC once was.

He was proudly the first vendor through the doors in 1995 when Robert G. Shaw Piedmont Farmers Market opened. During 1996, he and his wife decided to venture into different types of produce, one of those being chrysanthemums. At the peak, he grew over 40,000 mums and was later contracted by The Dixie Classic Fair in Winston Salem, NC to supply flowers for the fair.  During the late 90’s/early 2000’s, he was approached by Philip Morris USA and asked to join their Leadership Program where he traveled to both Mexico and Brazil to learn how other countries produced tobacco.

Danny loved being outdoors, regardless if it was crappie fishing or following in his father’s footsteps fox hunting. He traveled near and far going to field trials all over the US and attended The Nationals in Grenada, Mississippi yearly.

Later in life once Danny retired from tobacco and strawberries, he continued his passion of farming with always having a large garden where he grew multiple produce. He loved giving away what he grew, just as much as he enjoyed growing it.

A funeral service will be held at 1:30 PM on Saturday, September 13th, 2025, at Union Grove Baptist Church in Oak Ridge, NC. The family will start receiving extended family and friends at 11 AM prior to the service. Officiating the service is Pastor Steve Roberson.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made directly to The National Kidney Foundation who provided support to the Nelson family over the last 15 years while Danny battled kidney failure, dialysis, and his kidney transplant or to Union Grove Baptist Church where he was a member of the congregation.

The Nelson Family would like to also note a huge thank you to both Danny and Ann’s caregiver and close friend, Kebba Banner, for her dedicated service over the last year. We would also like to thank Dr. Joseph Coladonato (Doc) for his excellent care of Danny over the past 15+ years.