Nelson, Dave Emery (1931-2012)

NELSON, HOLLAND, BURGESS, DEMEYER, KURIGER, NEMENOFF, GRISWOLD, PRICE

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 5/23/2012 at 15:19:51

Dave Emery Nelson
August 11, 1931 - April 18, 2012

Dave Emery Nelson, age 80, of Spirit Lake, passed away Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at Countryside Estates in Cherokee.

Dave was born on August 11, 1931, in Lake Mills, to Nels Johannes Nelson and Ida Josephine Holland. He graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1949 and, then, from St. Louis College of Mortuary Science. He married Muriel Burgess on June 10, 1951, in Storm Lake. Dave and Muriel owned and operated the Hughes-Nelson Funeral Home in Storm Lake before retiring in 1990 and moving to Spirit Lake.

A Past President of the Storm Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Red Barn Board, Dave was also a member of the United Methodist Church, the Masonic Lodge, the Abu Bekr Shrine, the Buena Vista County Special Deputies, the Kiwanis Club, and the Iowa Funeral Directors Association. Moreover, he was the first tuba player in the Storm Lake Hy-Noon Kiwanis Famous Zauer Kraut Band. He enjoyed spending his spare time in his shop at home, riding his bicycle, especially on RAGBRAI, attending Big Band concerts, listening to all kinds of music, especially polka music, and spending time with his family!

Dave is survived by his wife, Muriel Nelson, of Spirit Lake; a daughter, Nancy DeMeyer, and her husband, Mike, of Olney, Illinois; three sons, Steve Nelson, and his wife, Belinda, of Overland Park, Kansas, Jon Nelson, and his wife, Joyce, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Jim Nelson, and his wife, Sue, of Cherokee; one brother, Richard Nelson, and his wife, Imelda, of Spicer, Minnesota; two brothers-in-law, Roger Burgess, and his wife, Donah, of Nashville, Tennessee, and Joe Kuriger, of Sierra Vista, Arizona; and a sister-in-law, Sharon Nelson, of Hampton; his grandchildren: Erin Nemenoff, Michael DeMeyer, Nathan DeMeyer, Krissy Nelson, Karla Nelson, Katie Nelson, McKenzie Nelson, Matt Nelson, and Kara Nelson; his step grandchildren, Matt Griswold and Sara Price; and his great-grandchild, Rachel Nemenoff; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Dorothy Kuriger, and his brother, Neal Nelson.

A funeral service was held Saturday, April 21, 2012, at the United Methodist Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery. The Schuchert Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

© Copyright 2012, Storm Lake Pilot Tribune