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Jeffrey E. Nelson, 62, of Beatrice, died unexpectedly Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013, at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, at the Centenary United Methodist Church in Beatrice. A family prayer service will be 10:15 a.m. Friday at the church. Interment will be in the Blair Cemetery at 4 p.m. Friday.

Visitation will be Wednesday, Jan. 1, from 2-9 p.m. at the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home in Wymore with the family greeting friends there from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Another visitation will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice with the family greeting friends there from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service on Friday.

Jeffrey E. Nelson was born Aug. 9, 1951, in Blair to J. Emery and Patricia (Larson) Nelson. He graduated from Blair High School in 1969 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln in 1974 where he was a member and past president of the Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity. He then graduated from Mortuary Science School at the University of Minnesota in 1977.

On June 1, 1974, he married Deborah Gass at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Omaha. They resided in Blair and Minneapolis, Minn., before returning to Blair.

They moved to Wymore in 1978 when he became the manager of the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home.

They then lived in Fremont from 1988 to 1991, where he was employed at the Moser Memorial Chapel. They then moved back to Beatrice in 1991 and he resumed his employment with the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel as manager of the Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home.

He was extremely active in numerous civic organizations both in Wymore and Beatrice. He was a member and past master of the Wymore Lodge 104, A.F. & A.M.; former member of the Sesostris Temple of the Shrine and the Blue Valley Shrine Club; member and past patron of the Violet Chapter 105, Eastern Star; member and past president of the Wymore Chamber of Commerce; past member and chairman of the Wymore Good Samaritan Advisory Board; former member and past chairman of the Southeast Nebraska Chapter of the American Red Cross; member of the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Center Board and the Thomas Foundation Board, both in Wymore; and was an active member of the Centenary United Methodist Church while also frequently attending Westside Baptist Church, both in Beatrice.

His professional memberships included the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association.

He enjoyed being involved in community and family activities. He lovingly cared for many people in Southeast Nebraska through his work in the funeral industry, and was a dedicated caregiver for his wife, mother, and mother-in-law.

He especially enjoyed attending his kids’ activities and spending as much time as he could with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his children, Ryan Nelson and wife Megan of Lincoln and Erin Schlake and husband TJ of Omaha; grandchildren: Brayden and Britynn Nelson and Reagan and Camden Schlake; sister Prudy Cemer and husband Bill of Omaha; brothers-in-law: Charles T. Gass and wife Kathe of Naples, Fla., and John L. Gass and wife Debbie of Aurora, Colo.; nephews and a niece.

He was preceded in death by his parents; mother-in-law, Doris (Griffiths) Gass; and wife Deborah on Jan. 7, 2012.

Memorials may be directed to the Southeast Nebraska Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Good Samaritan Center of Wymore and the church with the funeral home in charge.

The Laughlin-Hoevet Funeral Home is in charge of these services.

www.ghchapel.com.

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