Kenneth Nelson

Kenneth LeRoy Nelson, 75, of Lake City, died Saturday, September 16, 2006 at his home. He was born May 9, 1931 in Ellsworth, Wisconsin to Elmer and Grace (Marker) Nelson. He attended Ellsworth High School and then enlisted in the US Marines on January 26, 1952. He served as a Private First Class and was stationed in Oceanside, California. After he was honorably discharged from the Marines on January 25, 1954, he married Nila Johnson on May 22, 1954 at Svea Lutheran Church in Hager City, Wisconsin. They lived in the Twin Cites where he had worked as a sales and delivery man for Pies Inc., then at Dealer?s Manufacturing as a machinist and then at Power Tools, Inc. In 1972 they moved to Iowa where he owned an auto parts store in Osage, Iowa. He and Nila divorced in 1984 and he moved to Rhodes, Iowa where he worked at CT Automotive in Des Moines, until suffering a stroke in 1992. In April in 1997 he moved to Lake City. He enjoyed horses; attending local high school sporting events and had enjoyed making chainsaw woodcarvings. He is survived by two sons, Douglas (Kelly) Nelson of Zumbro Falls and Kert (Natalie) Nelson of Faribault; five grandchildren, Brenna, Nash, Phebe, Mitchell and Hunter; one sister, Phyllis (Bob) Thomas of Beldenville, Wisc. and one brother, Larry (Naomi) Nelson of Ellsworth. He was preceded in death by his sister, Mildred Christopherson and his ex-wife, Nila Nelson. Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at United Methodist Church with Reverend Donald Jones officiating. A luncheon will follow the service at the church. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Svea Lutheran Church Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandchildren, Brenna, Nash, Phebe, Mitchell and Hunter Nelson. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements handled by Mahn Family Funeral Home, Anderson-Peterson-Mahn Chapel.