OSTRANDER -- Sam Nelson, 83, of Ostrander, a former Geo. A. Hormel employee and retired owner of Sam's Recreation in Spring Valley, died Wednesday (March 3, 1993) at Ostrander Nursing Home where he had been a resident since November. He had been in ill health the past year.
Born March 27, 1909, in Poplar, Iowa, he grew up in Coon Rapids, Iowa, and attended schools there. In 1930, he married Gertrude Minnich and after moving to Minnesota in 1940 they lived in the Spring Valley, Grand Meadow and Ostrander areas. She died in 1952.
He and Frankie Bergeson were married in 1962 in Spring Valley and they lived in the Spring Valley, Rochester and Stewartville areas before moving to Ostrander four years ago. Mr. Nelson had been employed by Hanna Mining and Geo. A. Hormel & Co., and before his retirement in 1964 operated Sam's Recreation in Spring Valley.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Sharon Bateman of Plainview, Shirley (Mrs. Cecil) Chilson of Talmoon, Minn., and Roxanne (Mrs. Delvin) Carlson of Rosalie, Neb.; eight sons, Dick of Poplar Grove, Ill., Donald of Coralville, Iowa, John of New York Mills, Minn., LeRoy and Leslie, both of Branson, Mo., Terry of Kimballton, Iowa, Darrell of Dysart, Iowa, and Dennis of Rochester; three stepsons, Selmer Bergeson of Racine, and Curtis and Steven Bergeson, both of Rochester; a stepdaughter, Frances Delores Batt of Amboy, Ill.; 45 grandchildren; 11 step-grandchildren; 71 great-grandchildren; 17 step-great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Ethel (Mrs. Jake) Smouse of Coon Rapids, Iowa. A daughter, three step-grandchildren, three brothers and a sister preceded him in death.
The funeral will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Stewartville, with the Rev. Mary Hermance officiating. Spring burial will be in Grand Meadow Cemetery.
Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Osland Funeral Home in Spring Valley and an hour before the service Saturday at the church.
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