Rites for Chris

Lifetime Blair and Orum Resident Dies at 70; Lutheran Rites Held

Ill since suffering a stroke a year and a half ago, Chris Nelson, 70, retired farmer of Blair, died last Thursday morning at the Blair Convalescent Home, whence he had been a patient since Jan. 2.

The body was removed to the Bendorf Funeral Home. Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran Church at Orum, the Rev. Reid Neve officiating, and interment was in Lincoln Cemetery at Orum.

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Nielsen, Mr. Nelson was born northwest of Orum Jan. 7, 1884 and grew to manhood there. He attended Bisbee School and was baptized and confirmed in St. Paul’s Church at Orum.

For several years he farmed with his brother, J. T. Nelson. On May 24, 1910, he was married to Emma Rasmussen, and they farmed in the Orum community until 1938, when they retired and moved into Blair. Mrs. Nelson died here Jan. 5, 1948. Since then he had lived mainly with his son, near Blair, and a daughter in Alta, IA.

Surviving him are his son, Harland Nelson of near Blair, and his daughter, Mrs. Ray Holstein (Helen) of Alta, IA., also the brother J. T. Nelson of Blair, and four grandsons. Preceding him in death were three half-brothers, Pete, John, and Hans Toft, and a half-sister, Mrs. Annie Block.

#2 Printed in the July 22, 1954 Enterprise, Blair, Nebraska

Chris Nelson Died Last Thursday

Lifetime Farmer Was Well Known Over The County

Chris Nelson, well known farmer of the Orum vicinity, passed away Thursday, July 15th at the Blair Convalescent Home. He had been a resident of this community all his life.

Death was attributed to a series of paralytic strokes, the first of which had been suffered last December while visiting his daughter at Alta, Iowa. He was confined to the Storm Lake, Iowa hospital for a time, but was later moved to the Convalescent Home at Blair, where he was bedfast at the time of his death.

The deceased was born near Orum January 7th, 1884 and was, therefore, 70 years of age. He was married to Miss Emma Rasmussen May 25th, 1910 ant to this union a son and a daughter were born. The son is Harland Nelson, who lives on the home place at Orum and the daughter is Mrs. Raymond Holstein (Helen) of Alta, Iowa. There are four grandsons who survive. They are Donald and Roger Nelson and Ronald and Robert Holstein. Mrs. Nelson passed away January 5th, 1948. J.T. Nelson, well known farmer living west of Blair, is a brother of the deceased man.

For several years Mr. Nelson had been making his home with his son, Harland, and family, on the old home place at Orum. He was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Orum.

Funeral services were held Sunday, July 18th at the Harland Nelson home at 1:30 P.M. and at 2 o’clock at the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Orum. The Rev. Ried Neve conducted the service and burial was made in the Orum cemetery under the direction of the Bendorf Funeral Home. Pall Bearers were Ansel Toft, Bernard Paulsen, Fred W. Jensen, George Rasmussen, Raymond Rasmussen and Harold Rasmussen.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave memorial # 102807615 ~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~