Nathan Paul Ristvedt was born to James and Betty (Knobloch) Ristvedt on Feb 11, 1963 in Springfield, IL. He grew up with his brother and 2 sisters in the parsonages in Picayune, MS, Littlefield, TX, and Wisner, NE. He graduated from Wisner-Pilger High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

After teaching at Bancroft-Rosalie High School and working for Midland Medical Supply in Lincoln, he enrolled at Concordia Seminary in St Louis, MO. On spring break before his vicarage year he drove to Greeley, CO to visit Nellie Cook, a friend he met at the University Lutheran Chapel while they both attended. They fell in love that summer while he was a summer vicar at Bethlehem Lutheran in Crete, NE and were married at the University Lutheran Chapel in Lincoln on June 29, 1991. They honeymooned in the Black Hills on the way back to Portland, OR so he could finish his full-year vicarage there and then travel back to St Louis for his final 3 semesters at seminary.

After graduating from seminary he was ordained and installed in January of 1993 as pastor of a dual parish (St John in Villard, MN and Trinity in Grove Lake, MN). In 1999 he accepted a call to Bethlehem in Crete, NE, where he served until he became disabled in 2015. He went Home to Heaven peacefully at his home in Milford, NE on Feb 13, 2023 after an 8-year battle with Posterior Cortical Atrophy.

He enjoyed writing, performing, and recording music, bow hunting, fishing, dartball, and figuring out electronic and computer challenges. He loved being a pastor and viewed his parishioners as family. He was a member of the Lions Club and Ministerial Association. He loved the fellowship with his circuit pastors.

He is survived by wife Nellie (Milford, NE); mother Betty Ristvedt (Elkhorn, NE); daughter Naomi Ristvedt (Grand Island, NE), son Joel, his wife Karle, and their children Finn and Gwen (Bellevue, NE); son Caleb (Milford, NE), daughter Tabitha (Milford, NE); sister Cyndi Vinovskis, her husband Wally, (Macungie, PA) and their children Carissa, Micah, Noel, and Oliver; brother Phillip and his wife Jesse and son Nolan (Omaha, NE), sister Jennifer Ristvedt Hille (Coer d' Alene, ID) and her children Anika and Aidan; mother-in-law Carol Cook (Hickman, NE); sister-in-law Kathy Weber  Specht and her husband Leo (Towner, CO); sister-in-law Alice Fritz (Waco, NE); brother-in-law Charles Cook and his wife, Marjorie (Verdigre, NE); sister-in-law Mary Menter and her husband Paul (Lincoln, NE); sister-in-law Ruth Cook (Verdigre, NE); sister-in-law Martha Cook (Norfolk, NE); sister-in-law Janet Hollman and her husband Kent (Hickman, NE); sister-in-law Rachel Boyer and her husband Steve (Atoka, TN); brother-in-law James Cook and his wife, Lisa (Verdigre, NE); sister-in-law Patty Cope and her husband Kenny (Lincoln, NE); sister-in-law Penny Meyer and her husband Brian (Seward, NE) and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his father, James W Ristvedt; his father-in-law Ronald L. Cook, and pre-born daughters Melinda Rose and Kris.  Funeral Services will be held on Friday, February 17 ^th at 11:00 AM at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward.  Visitation is on Thursday from 5 – 7 PM at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home, Crete, NE.