Welma Nelson

Welma Mae Nelson, age 96, a lifelong resident of Clark County, widow of Norman G. Nelson, went to her heavenly home at the Good Samaritan Center in De Smet on January 8, 2020.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, January 12, 2020 at 2PM in the Furness Funeral Home at Clark with visitation 2 hours prior to services.  Pastor Rosanne Anderson will officiate.  Burial will be in the Spring of 2020 in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake.

She was born on October 20, 1923 in Darlington Township in the home of her parents, Ray and Belva (Kempton) Brannan. She attended country grade school and then graduated from Clark High School in 1942. She got a teaching certificate and taught in Clark County for 4 years until she was married.

On September 8, 1946, she was united in marriage at Clark to Norman George Nelson, son of George and Clara (Fechtelkotter) Nelson. In April 1947, they moved to a farm in Hague Township, section 22, known as the Warner place. By November 1951, the couple was able to purchase the farm. They farmed, raised short horn cattle and had a layer chicken operation for many years. Welma candled and packed all the eggs and butchered many chickens in the summer and sold them to her neighbors. She always had cookies and lunch available as Norman quite often invited salesmen and neighbors in for a bite to eat before they left. She kept a very tidy home and had a big garden with flowers. She was a faithful mother and grandmother.

By 2002, her husband, Norman, had passed away. She lived alone on the farm until 2011 and then she moved to the Bryant Assisted Living Care. In November 2017, she was transferred to De Smet when she needed additional care.

She was a member of the United Church of Christ in Willow Lake and was also a member of the church's Women's Fellowship.

Welma is survived by two of her sons, Dale and wife, Jill of Madison, Brad and wife, Kristi of Sioux Falls, and daughter-in-law, Peggy Nelson of Willow Lake; 11 grandchildren, Daneen, Rachel, Ellen, Amber, Aaron, Megan, Mallory, Marissa, Mandy, Chelsea, and Eric; and 19 great-grandchildren. She also leaves one sister, Marjie Krenkal of Kearney, Missouri, and one sister-in-law, Sharon Brannan of Clark.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, Norman, her son, Gary G. Nelson, her brother, Eugene Brannan, brothers-in-laws, Bill Krenkal and Robert Perry, 1 grandchild, Raliegh Nelson and 2 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to the Good Samaritan Center at De Smet in her memory.

The Furness Funeral Home at Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com