Alvin Holden Nelson

KLEMME - Alvin "Al" H. Nelson, 87, of Klemme died Monday, April 2, 2012 at the Belmond Medical Center from complication due to pneumonia.

Funeral services will be held 10 A.M., Saturday, April 7th at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner with Fr. Dennis Miller officiating. (Place of Service Has Been Changed from the Funeral Home to the Catholic Church). Burial will be in the Clear Lake Cemetery with military rites by the Clear Lake Veterans Ceremonial Unit.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 P.M., Friday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., Garner and will continue one hour prior to services at the chapel.

Memorials may be directed to Wright County Hospice or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Alvin Holden Nelson, the first son of Holden and Mary (Wilson) Nelson, was born June 22, 1924 at Belmond. Alvin moved with his family to Olaf, IA, and then to Clear Lake where he resided and graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1942. He worked with his father doing roofing, driving a taxi cab and working in a gas filling station until enlisting in the Navy in October of 1942. He took basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training School in Illinois before heading for Norman, OK, for advanced training where he graduated as an Aviation Metalsmith Second Class (AM/2C). Alvin's time in the Navy was very important and a proud time for him. He was stationed on Guadalcanal with the Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU) 11, which was a great source of pride and camaraderie as he kept contact and attended reunions with many of the members of CASU 11 into the 21st century. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946 and returned to Clear Lake. Besides taking flying lessons under the GI Bill, he learned to be a butcher, worked at a drycleaners, for various gas filling stations, the Cerro Gordo county maintenance garage and the US Post Office. He married Shirley (Decker) Nelson on September 11, 1948, and they were divorced in 1960. Alvin met and married Sue Starks of Scottsdale, AZ, in September 1972 until she passed away in February, 1974. He married June E. (Rapp) Reinig on July 23, 1974, until she passed away on April 17, 1998.

He was a life-time member of the Clear Lake VFW.

Alvin is survived by four children, David (Laurie) Nelson of Belleville, IL, Michael (Mickey) Nelson of Jasper, AR, Kathy (Bob) Wessels of Belmond and Bill (Jean) Nelson of Spencer; six step-children, Larry (Triza) Reinig of Des Moines, Linda (Rollo) Wastier of Mason City, Patty Schmidt of Mason City, Cathy (Steve) Schroeder of Runnels, IA, Cindy Henderson of Des Moines and Paula Johnson of Clive; his brother, Don Nelson of Fertile, IA; forty-five grandchildren; sixty-two great grandchildren; ten great-great grandchildren; many nieces, nephews; and other family in the Belmond area.

Alvin was preceded in death by his parents; spouses, Shirley, Sue and June; infant son, Stephen Ray Nelson; infant twin grandchildren, Brian David and Brent James Nelson; and step-children, Ginger Lazdins and Sandra Brown.