Irene E. Nelson

Irene E. Nelson, 88, died Sunday, April 5, 2009 at the Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home, Viborg. Funeral services will be at 10:30am Thursday, April 9, 2009 at the Zion Lutheran Church, Hurley with burial in the Hurley Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 2:00pm Wednesday at the Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Chapel, Hurley with family present from 6-8:00pm. Irene Edna Heinz was born on January 10, 1921 in rural Parker to August and Kathryn (Spomer) Heinz. After graduating from Hurley High School she attended Freeman Junior College and received a teaching certificate. She taught rural county school until she was united in marriage to Virgil Nelson on June 28, 1946 at Zion Lutheran Church at Hurley. They owned and operated Nelson Hardware in Hurley for 25 years. She was a lifetime and very active member of Zion Lutheran Church where she was the church organist, Sunday School Teacher, and women’s group member. For many years she was an officer and member of the Hurley Senior Citizens, Hurley Historical Society, and the Hurley American Legion Auxiliary. She was a member of the book committee that published the Hurley Centennial Book. Her grandchildren have fond memories of Grandma with her camera and tape recorder. Her husband Virgil died in 1990. Grateful for having shared her life are a daughter Janet (Doug) Brusseau, Elk Point; 5 sons, Duane (Maureen), Saratoga, CA, Daryl and Donald, both of Maricopa, AZ, David (Rita), Sioux Falls, and Dennis (Therese), Aurora, CO; 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren; a brother, Herbert Heinz, Wichita, KS; and 2 sisters, Eleanor Hammonds, San Antonio, TX and Ruth Garry, Sioux Falls. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sisters Kathryn and Lucille, and brothers Eugene and Victor. Memorials may be directed to the Zion Lutheran Church or the Hurley Historical Society.