Boyd Nelson, age 92, of Pipestone, Minnesota, died peacefully on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at the Pipestone County Hospice House. Visitation will take place on Monday, January 4, 2021 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Hartquist Funeral Home – Pipestone Chapel. A private family funeral service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Pipestone. Burial will be in Old Woodlawn Cemetery in Pipestone. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hartquist Funeral Home – Pipestone Chapel.
Victor Boyd Nelson was born to Victor and Lucile Bell (Peacock) Nelson on August 11, 1928 on a farm in Leeds Township, Murray County, MN where he was raised and attended country school in District 58. Upon completion of his education, he began farming in Jackson County, MN. On January 29, 1948, he was united in marriage to Pearl Williams at the Presbyterian Church in Windom, MN. Following their marriage, they lived and farmed in Jackson County. In 1951, they moved to a farm in Murray County near Dundee, MN for one year, then Trimont, MN for one year and back to Windom for three years. They then moved to Balaton, MN for six years before moving to Tyler, Minnesota. After renting farms in six locations in Southwest MN, they finally purchased a farm near Ruthton, MN in 1967. They continued farming the land there along with milking a herd of 75 cows until retiring in 1990. In 1991, they moved to Pipestone, MN. In 1993, they began wintering in Mesa, AZ where they resided at the Good Life RV Park for the next 15 years. Boyd entered the care of the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone and received care there for a short time. On December 30, 2020, he died at the Pipestone County Hospice House at the age of 92 years, four months and 19 days.
Boyd was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Pipestone where he served as an elder and sang in the church choir. While living near Ruthton, he was a member of the Russell Presbyterian Church. In 1958, he became a member of the Russell Masonic Lodge and later the Ruthton Masonic Lodge and the Quarry Masonic Lodge No. 148 AF & AM in Pipestone. He had served as Master of the Lodge in all three lodges. He was also a member of the El Riad Temple of the Shrine in Sioux Falls, SD, and the Calumet Chapter No. 51 Order of the Eastern Star. While they were wintering in Mesa, he enjoyed singing bass in a 50-member choir at the Good Life RV Park.
He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Pearl Nelson of Pipestone, MN; six children, Charles (Colleen) Nelson of Tyler, MN, Dora (Allen) Rupp of St. Peter, MN, Joanne (Scott) Herring of Omaha, NE, Michael (Julie) Nelson of Holland, MN, Julie Houselog of Bakersfield, CA, and James (Tami) Nelson of Ruthton, MN; 17 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren; one sister, Diane Armstrong of Weston, MO; and three brothers, David Nelson of Pequot Lake, MN, Raymond (Lucille) Nelson of Fargo, ND and Lynn (Katherine) Nelson of Windom, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Betty Neitzel; two brothers, Byron Nelson and Gary Nelson; and one special nephew, Rodney Plantz.
