Cecil Nelson
Cecil Nelson
August 21, 1920 – October 06, 2011
University Park, Iowa
Visitation: will begin at 10 a.m., Sunday morning, October 09, 2011 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel. The family will be present from 2 – 4 p.m. to greet visitors.
Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m., Monday morning, October 10, 2011 at St. John Lutheran Church with Reverend Samuel Deltz officiating. A Family Prayer Service will be held at 10:15 a.m. in the church basement preceding the funeral.
Interment: Forest Cemetery with Military Honors by the Harry L. Anderson Post #34 of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #2237 and Disabled American Veterans Post #21.
Cecil died Thursday evening at the MHP Serenity House in Oskaloosa at the age of 91 years, 1 months and 16 days.
Cecil Edward Nelson, son of Edward and Gerda Caroline Lindahl Nelson, was born August 21, 1920 in near Lockridge in rural Jefferson County, Iowa. He was a 1938 graduate of Lockridge High School. Cecil served in the Coast Guard for 38 month. While on leave, he married Erma Mary Katko on May 20, 1945, at the German Lutheran Church in Ottumwa. They returned to California, there Cecil completed his military term. Following his discharge, they settled near Eddyville. Cecil worked numerous jobs throughout his lifetime, but his main occupation was farming; and he thought of his wife affectionately as his “hired hand”. Cecil enjoyed playing the accordion, piano and guitar and was a member of seven or eight dance bands. He and Erma attended many country music festivals and enjoyed the “older” style square dancing. They also loved to travel and visited Canada and Mexico, as well as Hawaii, California, New York, Colorado and New Orleans. Cecil enjoyed model trains as well, and had several track configurations in his basement. He was a sixty year member of St. John Lutheran Church.
His family includes his three daughters and sons-in-law: Janice and Charles Oswandel of University Park, Betty and Keith McWilliams of Oskaloosa, and Mary Lou and Bob Van Weelden of New Sharon; eight grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Carol Nelson of Fairfield and Blanche Nelson of Mt. Pleasant and many nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Erma on April 26, 2010; two brothers, Renold and Willard Nelson; a sister, Elnora Harwood and a son-in-law, Greg McVay.
Memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Church and the MHP Serenity House.
Source: GVL Funeral Chapel
