Nelson, Martin Victor “Nelly” 1918-2001

NELSON, LEGORE, VEENMAN, ROCKWELL, DOLEZAL

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 8/8/2005 at 22:07:55

PELLA - Martin Victor (Nelly) Nelson, 83, of Pella, died Sunday, Oct. 28, in the Sheltered Care Unit of Pella Regional Health Center in Pella.

A memorial service will be 1:30 p.m. Monday at Second Reformed Church in Pella, the Rev. Stephen Mathonnet-Vander Well officiating. Private inurnment will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Pella, with military honors and Masonic rites. Memorials: Sheltered Care Unit, Pella Regional Health Center. No visiting hours are scheduled. Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella is in charge of arrangements.

Martin Victor Nelson was born Oct. 18, 1918, in Perry, to Marie Legore and Carl Nelson. He graduated from Jefferson/Scranton High School in Jefferson, where he was active in basketball and football. He received a scholarship to Central College in Pella and attended that school for two years. He then began working as an arc welder for Franklin Van Gorp in Pella.

On Aug. 27, 1939, he married Gladys Jean Veenman at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They had two children, Carl James and Barbara Jo.

On Feb. 29, 1944, he was inducted into the United States Navy and served as a radar operator during World War II. He was discharged Dec. 25, 1945. He began working at Liter's Cleaners. Then he and his brother-in-law, Elmer L. Van Zee, formed a partnership and owned and operated Pella Dress Club. Nelly and Van dissolved the partnership and sold the business in 1959. Nelly then became an insurance salesman for Verle Ver Dught at Ver Dught Agency in Pella. On July 2, 1976, Jean died.

On Oct. 21, 1977, Nelly married Gloria Jean Rockwell Dolezal. Nelly continued working at Ver Dught Agency and in later years did house and building painting with a longtime friend, Robert G. (Bob) Menning. Nelly was a city councilor in Pella for several terms, and was on the Marion County Board of Adjustment. He was a longtime member of Pella Golf and Country Club in Pella, where he and Gloria enjoyed playing tournament and recreational golf. Gloria died Oct. 6, 2000.

Nelly then moved to Pella Regional Health Center. He was a member of Second Reformed Church in Pella and Van Veen-Van Hemert American Legion Post No. 89 of Pella. He was a former member of the Pella Masonic Lodge No. 55 A.F. & A.M. He enjoyed big bands and dancing.

He is survived by his two children and spouses: Jim and Diane Nelson of Pella, and Barb and John Frank of Pella; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; four stepchildren and spouses: Steve and Cherry Dolezal of Basalt, Colo., Mary Kate Dolezal of Olathe, Kan., Jane Robles of West Des Moines and Liz and Perry Walker of Phoenix, Ariz.; 11 step-grandchildren; five step-great-grandchildren; two sisters and brothers-in-law: Carol and Donald Oxenford of Waukee and Helen and Arnie Krueger of Lakewood, Calif.; two brothers and a sister-in-law: Norman Nelson of Harlan and Stanley and Dorothy Nelson of Cedar Rapids; and another sister-in-law, Lillian Nelson of Arthur.

He was preceded in death by his two wives; his parents; a brother Victor in infancy; and another brother, Ernest Nelson.

The Oskaloosa Herald, November 2, 2001