Melva J. (Nelson) PALS

PALS, NELSON, HALFPOP, DORNBIER, LYONS, GOBELI, TORKELSON, JENKINS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/14/2010 at 11:25:17

MASON CITY, IA--Melva J. Pals, 63, 1415 Eighth St. S.W., died Wednesday morning (July 23, 1997) at North Iowa Mercy Health Center. Funeral services for Melva will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1405 S. Pennsylvania Ave., with the Rev. David Shogren officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held after 2 p.m. today at the Fullerton Patterson James Funeral Chapel, 123 Second St. S.E. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to the Melva Pals Memorial Fund.

Melva was born on Dec. 20, 1933, at Clear Lake, the sixth child of 10, to Theodore and Greona (Pals) Nelson. She moved with her family to several area farms and received her education and graduation from the Goodell High School. While in school, she played basketball and was the majorette at the Mason City Band Festival for the Goodell School System. After school she met her neighbor, Ron Pals, who united with her in marriage on Jan. 20, 1951, at Mechanicsville.
Ron soon entered the service and Melva began her career as an operator for Northwestern Bell in Mason City. After Ron returned from the service, they transferred to Iowa Falls where both of them were employed by the telephone company and moved back to Mason City in 1976 where she was a clerk for the company. She retired from the telephone company in 1986. She then was a bookkeeper for Bauer Built Tires for a few years. Even though she did not have to work, her caring spirit led her to becoming a nurses aide at Good Shepherd Nursing Home where she was known as a hard worker.

She loved her family and grandchildren, and in her off time, was often found enjoying their new sun room where she tended her flowers, birds and fish. She was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church.

Melva is survived by her husband of 45 years, Ronald, of Mason City; two daughters, Rhonda and her husband, Allen Halfpop, and Leslie and her husband, Damon Dornbier, all of Mason City; four surviving sisters, Leola and Jim Lyons, Roswell, Ga.; Jeanyce and Allan Gobeli, Milton, Fla.; Shirley and Kermit Nelson, Lake Mills, and Merna Torkelson of Forest City; three brothers, Richard and Marlys Nelson of Fairfax; Darwin and Margie Nelson, Clear Lake, and Loren and Andrea Nelson, Denison; four grandchildren, Allison and Tyler Halfpop and Kaitlyn and Morgan Dornbier; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Wanda Jenkins; and one brother, Roger Nelson.

July 24, 1997
Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette