Thomas Edward Nelson 1918-1955

NELSON, GUNDERSON, MYERS, BEATTY

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 6/8/2013 at 00:20:20

Thomas Nelson Killed in Traffic Accident
Car Rams Bridge Abutment
By Joe Ferris Jr.
Thomas Edward Nelson, 37, of Wallingford, died early this morning in Holy Family hospital of injuries suffered when his car smashed into a concrete abutment at the north approach to the Des Moines river bridge at the south limits of Estherville on Highway 17. The car rammed into the east abutment.

The fatal accident occurred at 11:30 p.m. Friday according to the police report, which said that skid marks were evident for 104 feet along the east shoulder of the highway approaching the bridge.

Mr. Nelson was alone in the car.

Mrs. Nelson, who was with her husband at the hospital until he died, said that he had been in Estherville doing last minute shopping for a pheasant dinner planned by his family today.

One of the bystanders at the scene following the accident said at the scene, following the accident, “There are the cranberries I sold him about an hour ago.” The berries were strewn over highway as were auto parts, tools, one of Mr. Nelson’s shoes and other personal effects.

The physician who attended Nelson said that he suffered – triple fractures and lacerations, that his entire body was broken.

Mrs. Nelson said her husband’s chest and head were crushed, he was bleeding internally and that had he lived, one foot would have had to be amputated.

“We had two bad tires on the car,” she said this morning, “and he might have had a blowout. Tires were one of the things we were going to get when Tommy started working again.”

Nelson was a Hill Packing co. employee out on strike over wages since Aug. 30. He had been a worker on the kill floor at the plant, and Mrs. Nelson said her husband had applied for re-employment.

Police said Nelson’s car, headed south, apparently darted left across the road and struck the abutment. The side of the car was torn off and Nelson was thrown out of the car after the impact.

Nelson had been a seven-year veteran of the Navy, discharged Jan. 10, 1949. He was fleet middleweight champion boxer, according to local residents whom he trained for the Golden Gloves.

He is survived by his son, Tommy, 10, daughter Susah, 7, and wife, Lucille. Tommy Jr. is a student in the fifth grade at Roosevelt school and Susan, the second grade at McKinley. Mrs. Nelson is director of the McKinley school Mother’s chorus and of the Wallingford Lutheran church choir.

Also surviving are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Myers of Montrose. Funeral arrangements have been set for 2 p.m., Monday at the Wallingford Lutheran church, the Rev. C.B. Gunderson officiating. Rev. Gunderson is Mrs. Nelson’s brother-in-law. Friends may call at the Sandin Funeral Home from Sunday until Monday noon. Burial will be in Wallingford Riverside cemetery. (November 12, 1955)

Thomas Nelson Buried with Military Rites
Thomas Edward Nelson was born Sept. 3, 1918, at Beardstown, Ill. His parents were Andrew and Elizabeth (Beatty) Nelson. His father passed away in1931 at Mount Sterling, Ill.

In 1928, Thomas moved with his mother and step-father, Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Myers, to Montrose, Ia. He attended the public schools of Beardstown and Montrose. He continued to live in Montrose until about 1940. He spent the next two years, 1941 and 1942, in defense work in California before entering the military service. The years 1942-1949 were spent in the Navy.

On Aug. 16, 1942, he was united in marriage with Lucile Gunderson and to this union were born two children, Thomas Jr., 10 and Susan, 7.

Having been baptized in infancy, he received adult instruction in the Lutheran faith while stationed at the Naval air station at Corpus Christi, Tex., and was confirmed in the Christ Lutheran church at Corpus Christi, March 25, 1945.

In the summer of 1950, he and his family moved to this community and he has been employed in Estherville since that time. They lived first in Estherville, and in March of 1951, moved to the Knute Gunderson farm. He was a member of Wallingford Lutheran church and belonged to the Wallingford American Legion post.

On the night of Nov. 11 as he was returning home from Estherville, he met with an automobile accident, and although he was taken to Holy Family Hospital where everything possible was done for him, he could not survive the severe injuries. He passed away about 1:30 a.m., Nov. 12, at the age of 37 years.

The body lay in state at the Sandin Funeral home until Monday noon, when it was taken to the Wallingford Lutheran church for the funeral service which was held at 2:00 o’clock with the Rev. C.B. Gunderson officiating. Pallbearers were Elmer Borchers, Amos Egeland, Lester Larson, Trygve Larson, Norman Mickelson and Larry Tenborg. Honorary pallbearers were members of United Packing House Workers Local 383, Harold Brobst, Duane Kiner, Willis Koenecke, Earl Tuttle, Stephen Molacek and Dominic Novak.

Members of the Norris Kasa post No. 567 of Wallingford supplied the military escort to Riverview cemetery where interment was made after the military rites. The flag was presented by Stanley Richey. Taps were sounded by Everet Osher and Nordein Peterson. Members of the firing squad were David Cook, Ronald Herum, Oliver Ness, Arnold Olson, Ronald Peterson, Wayne Richards, Ralph Torreson, and Vernon Torreson.

Surviving are his wife and two children of Wallingford, his mother and stepfather of Montrose, his brother, Staff Sgt. Francis A. Nelson, now stationed in Chader saux, France; two aunts; two uncles; one great-aunt; also 10 nieces and nephews.

Those attending the service from out of town were the mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Myers of Montrose, Mrs. and Mrs. Thomas Knobbs of Montrose and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hand of Keokuk. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, November 17, 1955)