Loretta R. Nelson

Parker. Loretta Nelson, 85, died Friday, November 25, 2011 at Sanford Vermillion Care Center. Funeral services will be at 10:30am Thursday, December 1, 2011 at Grace Lutheran Church, Parker with burial at Rosehill Cemetery, Parker. Visitation will begin at 2:00pm Wednesday at Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home, Parker. Loretta Rosetta Nelson was born on January 16, 1926 at Bertha, MN to John and Amanda Lorenz. She received her education in grade and high school in the Bertha public school system. She worked for the Nation Tea Food System in Staples, MN after high school and then left for New York City to stay with her sister Lorraine while working at a Book Store. Her father then passed away and she returned home to Minnesota and later went to work at the Dow Drug Store in Sioux Falls, SD. She then met and was united in marriage to Eugene Nelson on March 26, 1950 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. To this union three sons were born, Richard, David and Roger. They moved to a beautiful farm southwest of Parker, SD and lived there together for 57 years. She was busy with church and school activities. She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, a Sunday school teacher and Bible school teacher for many years. She was busy with Ladies Aid and helped make quilts that were distributed to local families. During retirement they traveled widely and visited nearly all 50 states and Canada. Grateful for having shared her life are two sons, Dr. Richard (Mona) Nelson, Overland Park, KS and David (Amy) Nelson, Vermillion; 7 grandchildren, Eric, Anna, Laura, Elyse, Bo, Ryan, and Brooke; 3 great grandchildren, Reese, Blake, and Will. Loretta was from a large family of 13 children, she is survived by a sister, Arvilla Dyer; and 5 brothers Melvin, Gary, Darrel, Ralph, and Junior Lorenz. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Eugene in 2007, son Roger in 2011, and 6 brothers and sisters.