![Namesake Nelson Family Photo Dec.4, 2023[39] copy.jpeg](https://coveringkaty.com/downloads/1718/download/Namesake%20Nelson%20Family%20Photo%20Dec.4%2C%202023%5B39%5D%20copy.jpeg?cb=bf5111b276572f22118a324293739a13&w={width}&h={height} "Namesake Nelson Family Photo Dec.4, 2023[39] copy.jpeg")
KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) – Junior High 18 will be named for the Nelson family, a five-generation Katy family.
At Monday night's board meeting, the Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees approved the school's name. Nelson Junior High School opens in August 2024.
"Having played a pivotal role in shaping the community that we know today, the Nelson family's legacy is deeply entwined with the history of Katy," said school board president Victor Perez. "Five generations of the Nelson family have resided in Katy — contributing to its economic and social development."
PBK
An artist's rendering of Nelson Junior HIgh.
Nelson family members have graduated from Katy ISD, served on the Board of Trustees, and been deeply involved in various district programs such as FFA, and their active involvement in the community has helped our schools flourish.
In 1938, Clyde Nelson and his wife Leatha moved to Katy with their three children, Wesley, Wanda, and David. In 1942, they purchased the land that Junior High 18 sits on today from Mrs. Mary Wilkenson, a former Katy ISD schoolteacher.
The Nelson family engaged in rice and cattle farming and actively participated in community and school activities. Wesley and David were involved in Katy FFA, while Wanda contributed to the school's band. All three children, Katy High School graduates, made significant contributions to their community.
Wesley served in the Air Force before joining the family's rice farming operation, and David joined the business later. The Nelson children, who graduated from and married fellow Katy High School alumni, strengthened their ties to the community by making their homes near the family farms.
In the early 1930s, George and Alice Nelson settled in Katy, establishing a prosperous farming and ranching enterprise. George's commitment to education was demonstrated through his Katy ISD school board service in 1939 and reflected in the family's dedication to the local school system.
Actively involved in the Katy FFA, George volunteered his time and efforts. The couple's three children, Sonny, Delores, and Johnny, not only contributed significantly to the Katy community but also carried on the family's farming legacy.
As their families expanded, their ties to Katy ISD deepened through generations attending and graduating from the district.