Nelson, John D. 1917-2004

NELSON, MORRIS, WHITTAKER, JONES

Posted By: Barbara Hug (email)
Date: 3/16/2005 at 08:12:53

Newton (IA) Daily News, Tuesday, November 9, 2004

John David Nelson, 87, of 500 First St. N. died Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Pence-Reese Funeral Home in Newton with the Rev. Merle Smith of Skiff Medical Center officiating. Burial will be at Newton Union Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 9 a.m. Thursday, where the family will be present from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Memorials will be accepted in his name or to the American Cancer Society.

The son of Peter C. and Hazel (Morris) Nelson, he was born July 27, 1917, in Buxton, coal mining fields of southern Iowa. He graduated from Newton Senior High School in 1936. On June 29, 1944, he married Betty May Whittaker in Newton. He served in the U.S. Army in the 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division during World War II. He was part of the invasion of North Africa and on the beach at Anzlo in Italy and was a Jasper County war hero. He received four Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and Silver Star for Valor and also received a battlefield commission.

Mr. Nelson was mayor of Newton from 1976 to 1980, after winning as a write-in candidate. He was regional manager for the Maytag Company and owned the Sinclair service station. He also owned Nelson Bros. Warehouse, supplying cartons and shipping materials to Maytag.

He was a member of BPOE Elks, V.F.W. Post No. 1655, 40/8, Izaac Walton League and Newton Moose Lodge. He attended the Newton Congregational United Church of Christ. He enjoyed reading and listening to music.

Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Mike D. and Lynette Nelson of Altoona and Tim C. and Mary Nelson of Newton; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a brother, Fred D. Nelson of Newton; a sister, Roberta Jones of Newton; and a special friend, Darlene "Darby" Johnson of Austin, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; two brothers, Donald and Robert; three sisters, Willadean Nelson, Mildred Nelson and Betty Nelson.