Alvin Nelson (1904-1936)

NELSON, WALTMIRE, SWITZER, SMITH, FUNKHOUSER, GARRETT

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/22/2022 at 15:30:15

From Nevada Evening Journal May 19, 1937 (page 1)

Former Grant Township Man's Body Identified

Anxiety over the whereabouts of Alvin Nelson, 33, son of Mrs. Carrie Nelson of Ames and a native son of Grant township, was cleared up Tuesday when a body found in the Chicago river was identified as that of Nelson, missing since December 4.

Nelson, an electrical engineering graduate from Iowa State college, had been working at Hagerstown, Md., and had started home for a visit with his mother and other relatives in Story county.

He had stopped in Chicago for a visit with a sister and in the afternoon, he and his brother-in-law, Rev. W. B. Waltmire, had driven down into the "loop," but the visitor failed to show up for the return trip to the Waltmire home.

Later his car was found in a parking lot, with a note which said, "This is the only answer."

From that day until Tuesday of this week no definite clue had been found as to his whereabouts, although suicide had been feared.

Mrs. Carrie T. Nelson, 116 Campus avenue, who had not heard from her son since he left Hagerstown, Md., where he was employed, on a trip home last December, received the sad news from the Rev. and Mrs. W. B. Waltmire of Chicago, son-in-law and daughter of Mrs. Nelson. The Rev. Mr. Waltmire identified the body.

Belief that Nelson may have committed suicide was expressed at the time that he disappeared, when a short note was found in his car in a Chicago parking lot. The note read, "This is the only answer."

The Rev. and Mrs. Walmire will accompany the body to Ames for a funeral and burial.

Nelson was born on a farm in Section 28, Grant township, Story county, January 25, 1904, the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Nelson. His father died a number of years ago. He was graduated from Ames high school in 1920 and from Iowa State College in 1925, with a degree in electrical engineering.

After graduating from Iowa State, Nelson went to Pittsburgh, where he was employed until a few years ago, when he went to Maryland. He was not married.

Surviving him are his mother and two brothers, Jesse of Ames and Orville of Grant township, and seven sisters, Mrs. Waltmire of Chicago, Gertrude and Lillian of Ames, Mrs. Sam Switzer of southwest of Nevada; Mrs. A. A. Smith of Santa Rosa, Cal., Mrs. R. H. Funkhouser of Kansas City and Mrs. C. R. Garrett of Haddingfield, N. J.