Nelson, Leonard Julian (1926-2009)

NELSON, OPSAL, TORKELSON, BREKKEN

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 5/27/2013 at 16:31:47

Leonard Julian Nelson
(February 10, 1926 - January 3, 2009)

Leonard J. Nelson, age 82, of rural Leland, died on Saturday, January 03, 2009, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City, Iowa.

Leonard was born on February 10, 1926, southeast of Thompson, Iowa, to Peter Johan and Johanna (Opsal) Nelson, who came from Norway. In the fall of 1940, Peter and Johanna bought the Nelson farm four miles west of Lake Mills and moved there in March of 1941.

Leonard finished out his freshman year at Thompson High School by catching a ride with the mailman, Dick Palmer. In the fall of 1941, he began school in Leland and graduated from Leland High School in 1944.

Drafted into the United States Army in the summer of 1944, Leonard served in the Philippines and Japan before his honorable discharge in 1945. In June of 1949, he began farming with his father.

On November 24, 1950, Leonard married Florence Torkelson. They, then, moved into his parents’ home, and in 1951, they built a smaller home on the same family farm. Subsequently, three children, Steven, Gary, and Lori, were born to their union.

Leonard had a lifelong love of farming. In addition, he enjoyed hunting, especially in Wyoming and Montana for antelope and deer, and fishing in Canada. With his friends, he also participated in more than forty annual deer hunting trips to Indianola, Iowa, which led to his teaching his sons, son-in-law, and grandsons the joy of deer hunting.

In their retirement years, Leonard and Florence enjoyed dancing and traveling in their travel trailer to Texas, Montana, and Alaska. They spent fourteen winters in Texas.

Leonard was a lifelong member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Thompson, Iowa. He was very proud of his Norwegian heritage. Active with the Democratic Party, the National Farmers Organization, the Leland VFW Post #6161, he also served on the Bethany Lutheran Church council.

Leonard is survived by his best friend and loving wife, Florence, of Leland, Iowa; his three children, Steven (Kathy) Nelson, Gary (Julie) Nelson, and Lori (David) Brekken, all of Lake Mills, Iowa; and nine grandchildren, Tony (Ashley) Nelson, of Clear Lake, Iowa, Derek Nelson, of Des Moines, Iowa, Molly Nelson, of Ames, Iowa, Jason Brekken, of Savage, Minnesota, Grant Brekken, of Iowa City, Iowa, Peter Brekken, of Ames, Iowa, Jacob Brekken, of Lake Mills, Iowa, and Lisa and Taylor Nelson, both of Lake Mills, Iowa; as well as by extended relatives and many friends.

Preceding Leonard in death are his parents, Peter and Johanna Nelson, and his father- and mother-in-law, Wallace and Ida Torkelson.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, January 9, 2009, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Thompson, Iowa, with hospice chaplain Rev. Jim Allard officiating. Burial will take place at Rose Hill Cemetery in Thompson with military honors conducted by the Leland VFW Post #6161. Visitation will be on Thursday, January 8, 2009, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street, Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Friday. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa.

Copyright © 2009, Mittelstadt Funeral Home

Mittelstadt Funeral Home
 

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