Thomas Robert Nelson was born March 12, 1946, in Cherokee, IA, the only child of Clarence and Ruth (Brown) Nelson. Tom grew up on the family farm east of Sutherland, IA. He enjoyed working on the farm and hunting and fishing on the family property.
He attended Sutherland Community School, graduating in 1965. Following graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Fort Hood, Texas. He served for 13 months as a tank driver in Korea and attained the rank of Specialist Five (E-5). His military distinctions included the National Defense Service Medal, Expert qualification with the tank gun, and Sharpshooter qualification with the rifle. He was honorably discharged in 1967.
After his military service, he returned to farming in the Sutherland area. Tom married Patricia Powell in 1968, and they moved to Alta when Tom began working at the Hygrade Packing Plant in Storm Lake. Following the closure of the plant, he worked at Vigorena Feeds (Hubbard Milling) as the feed mill operator. He retired in 2008.
Tom and Pat had three children: Matthew, Molly, and Marny. They eventually divorced amicably, and Tom moved to Storm Lake, to what Marny named “Tom’s House.” He traveled back and forth to Alta to see Marny and to fix what needed fixing in exchange for his favorite meals.
Tom’s favorite summer pastimes included fishing and boating with the family. They all have many fond memories of being out on the water in Storm Lake and Okoboji. Matt recounts their favorite fishing holes in Newell, Linn Grove, and Larson Lake. They returned home one day with a rescued turtle that lived in the sandbox for the summer.
Tom was a racing enthusiast. He and Matt spent many nights at the BV County Raceway until the wee hours of the morning, even though the alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. Tom loved it when his children and grandchildren returned home over the years and wanted to go to the races with him. Tom and Matt made a trip to the Indy 500 and to several other NASCAR tracks.
Tom was a huge sports fan, enjoying NFL football, Major League Baseball, and especially Iowa Hawkeye football. He was sporting an Iowa cap even before the arrival of Hayden Fry. He enjoyed several games at Kinnick Stadium, as Matt and Molly both graduated from the University of Iowa. You could still find him most days wearing Hawkeye gear.
Molly gifted him two grandchildren. He spent many hours helping construct swing sets, a sandbox, and a fire pit; fixing fences; planting trees and flower gardens; and was always available to help them move—from Kansas City to Alta and then on to the Chicago area.
Tom had a standing Friday night date with Marny. They would drive around the lake, listening to music and indulging in their beloved fast food. Upon returning home, Marny would recount every song and artist they had listened to all night. If the weather was nasty, they would go to a movie or watch a Hawkeye game at Tom’s house. He once commented that, thanks to Marny and way too many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, he now knew what a sweetheart neckline was.
In his retirement years, he frequented malls, gun and antique shows, and flea markets. Annually, he went to the Albert City Thresherman’s Show and the Clay County and Iowa State fairs. He never came home empty-handed and joked that he always bought high and sold low. He became a gun collector and called himself a “wannabe hunter,” remembering his early years when he took down three bucks. He bought his favorite fast cars, including a red Chevy Camaro Z28, a red Chevy Corvette, and his beloved Harley-Davidson.
He enjoyed many adventures in his retirement years with family and friends. He fished year-round. He spent many hours happily riding his motorcycle and made several trips to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. He joined a small group that rode all the way out to the Grand Canyon and back. With two of his three children living in the Chicago area, he watched the Cubs play and the Blue Angels fly over Lake Michigan, attended car shows, enjoyed a cruise on the lake, and even went skydiving while there.
Tom passed away peacefully at Methodist Manor Retirement Community on Friday August 28, 2026 at the age of 80.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Ruth Nelson, and his in-laws, James and Pearl Powell, all of Sutherland; his brothers-in-law, Daryl Einerwold of Alta and Ted Powell of Des Moines; and his nephews, Chad Einerwold and Zac Einerwold, both of Alta.
He is survived by his ex-wife, Patricia Nelson of Alta, and their children, Matthew Nelson (Hilary Sanzel) of Chicago, IL, Molly Nelson-Braland (Scott Braland) of Batavia, IL, and Marny Nelson of Alta, IA; two grandchildren, Ethan Nelson-Braland of Batavia, IL, and Abby Nelson-Braland of Juneau, AK; along with numerous other in-laws, nieces, and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society in Tom’s honor.