Spenser Nels Nelson, 15, passed on January 29, 2012, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., on Friday, February 3, 2012, at Johnston Evangelical Free Church, 9901 NW 62nd Avenue in Johnston.

Spenser was born on February 4, 1996, in Maquoketa, Iowa to Tamra (Cougill) and Curtis Nelson. Spenser attended school in Maquoketa through fifth grade. He moved with his family and attended Johnston schools starting in sixth grade. He was currently a sophomore at Johnston Senior High School.

Spenser was a fun loving, soft hearted, young man, brother and son. He loved to snowboard, wakeboard, skateboard and fishing. He was also very active in football, track, baseball, and weightlifting. He was a hard working, dedicated student athlete. He also loved spending time with his friends, especially his brother and sister.

Spenser will be dearly missed by his parents, Tamra and Curtis Nelson of Johnston; sister, Sara Nelson of Maquoketa; brother, Jonathan Nelson, a student at Winona State University, MN; maternal grandparents, Royce and Joyce Cougill of Aurelia and paternal grandmother, Lucille C. Nelson of Aurelia; uncles and aunts: Debra (Randy) Galvin of Early, Kim (Matt) Warnke of Arnolds Park, Brenda (Frank) Huseman of Manson, Bill (Sheila) Cougill of Early, Rodney (Carole) Nelson of Grundy Center, Robert (Jan) Nelson of Cherokee, and Julie Gibson of Portland, OR; and many cousins and good friends. He is preceded in death by grandfather, Kenneth Nels Nelson.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, 2012, at Johnston Evangelical Free Church.

Memorial contributions may be given to the family. The family will determine a memorial in Spenser's name at a later date.