Marilyn A. Nelson

Marilyn A. Nelson, age 82 of Boelus, passed away on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at Heritage at Sagewood in Grand Island.

Services were held Friday, October 15, 2021, at Faith Lutheran Church in Nysted. Pastor Bob Carlson officiated. Burial was in the Loup Fork Cemetery near Boelus.

Memorials are suggested to the Central Nebraska Walk of Hope (Huntington’s Disease), Comfort Dog Ministries of Christ Lutheran Church in Cairo and Peace Lutheran Church in Grand Island, or the Nebraska Chapter of Alzheimer’s Association.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www. jacobsengreenway.com.

Marilyn A. Nelson was born to Homer and Florence (Ogden) Wheeler, a New Year’s baby born on January 1, 1939, in Grand Island. Her grandson Adam shared her birthdate. Marilyn attended grade school in country schools near Shelton and Dannebrog. She attended high school in Dannebrog and graduated from Cairo High School in 1956. Marilyn married Jim Nelson on September 1, 1957, in the Dry Creek Lutheran Church near Boelus. They farmed and raised their children on the Nelson home place.

Marilyn volunteered many years at St. Francis Hospital. She organized and coordinated the Centura Blood Drive and was a lifelong blood donor. She loved researching genealogy and entered many local cemeteries online in the Tombstone Cemetery Registry. She had a passion for history and genealogy, and gladly shared her findings with people all over the country. She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Nysted and was instrumental in getting the church registered with National Historic Landmarks in Nebraska.

Survivors include her husband Jim of 64 years, of Cairo; son, Mike (Vicki) Nelson of Boelus; daughters, Linda (Jerry) Woitaszewski and Laurie (Dan) Harders, of Wood River, and Patty (Paul) Pedroza, of Hastings; 15 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and sister, Veda Bruner, of Shelton.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Glen and Floyd; sister, Reva Berens; infant sister; son-in-law, Ken Gallagher; and brother-in-law, Dick Bruner.