David M. Nelson

David M. Nelson, 93, of Lost Nation passed away on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at the Jackson County Regional Health Center in Maquoketa.

His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at the Union Presbyterian Church in Lost Nation where a visitation will be held one hour prior to his service. Burial will be at Lost Nation Cemetery. 

David Martin Nelson was born on August 27, 1929 in Cornwall township, Atkinson, Illinois to Ralph and Dorothy (Farnam) Nelson. He attended Brandon Country School for 8 years and graduated from Geneseo High School, Geneseo, Illinois in 1947. He helped combine wheat from Oklahoma to North Dakota during the summer months. David graduated from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture in 1951 and was drafted in the United States Army where he was trained at Fort Holabird as a Counter Intelligence Agent and served two years. After receiving an honorable discharge he worked for Swift & Co. as a cattle buyer in Wisconsin. He married Betty J. Steele in Rockford Illinois. Later they moved to Atkinson Illinois, Tipton and Lost Nation, Iowa where they proudly settled on their farm.

Those left to cherish his memory are his four sons: Tim (Cathy) Nelson of Durant, Jim (Julie) Nelson of Garden Grove, California, Carl (Brenda) Nelson of Iowa City, Randy Nelson and his girlfriend Christy of Rock Island, ten grandchildren;  Josh, Alicia, Sam, Scott, Brett, Kristie, Acasia, Brandon, Bethany and Amanda, one great-grandson Alric Cross and one great-granddaughter Presley Nelson, two nephews; Tom Nelson, Bart Steele and two nieces Wendy Nelson and Tiffany (Michael) Steele West and a brother Don (Kathryn) Nelson of Illinois.

He is preceded in death by his parents, a brother Dale and his wife Betty.

Memorials may be directed in his honor to the Union Presbyterian Church in Lost Nation or to help the victim in Ukraine at www.donate.redcrossredcrescent.org/uq/donate/~my-donation Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dawsonfuneral.com. Cards of condolences may be mailed to Dawson Funeral Services Attn: David Nelson Family Po Box 258 Wyoming, Iowa 52362. 

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