Betty Lou Nelson

Betty Lou (Makis) Nelson passed away on April 28, 2010, at the age of 96, at the Newton Healthcare Center in Newton, Iowa. She had resided there since July of 2002. Upon returning from the Newton Skiff Medical Center recently, she was under the care of the Hospice of Jasper County until the time of her death.

Betty was born on Sept. 27, 1913 in Chicago, Ill., where her parents lived at the time. They later moved to Lakota, Iowa, and finally to Ida Grove, Iowa. Betty married Bernie Nelson on Feb. 24, 1934, at the home of her parents in Ida Grove. For the first years of their marriage, Betty, Bernie and their family lived in Newton. In 1945, they moved to the Newburg and Gilman area, where they resided until 1955, when they moved back to Newton. At the time of Bernie’s death in 1975, they shared a home with son, Delmar, and family in Kellogg.

Three children were born to Betty and Bernie: Erma, Gordon and Delmar. Bernie was a carpenter and trucker. Betty was a full-time homemaker until the family moved back to Newton in 1955. At that time Betty went to work at Skiff Medical Center in the housekeeping department. She then decided to study towards an LPN degree, which she achieved. For a number of years, she worked at several nursing homes and cared for patients in their own homes. Upon retiring, Betty became active in the Newton branch of Navy Mothers Club because son, Gordon, and his daughter, Kimberly, are both veterans of the U.S. Navy. She also was active in the Senior Citizens group for fellowship and volunteering in various projects. Betty’s special joys in life were her family, sewing, gardening along with Bernie, attending church, traveling in her later years and country and gospel music.

Betty is survived by her three children, Erma Roseland and husband Dale of Gilman, Gordon and wife Allene of Newton and Delmar and wife Fern of Kellogg; 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Also surviving is one sister, Mrs. Ann Chozen of Spirit Lake, Iowa. Preceding Betty in death were her husband, Bernie, in 1975; her grandson, Andy Buckles, in 2002; a great-grandson, Scott Nelson, in 1985; her brothers, John and Paul; a sister, Bessie Wiese; her brothers-in-law, Sylven Chozen and Elmer Wiese; a sister-in-law, Alva Makis; and her parents, John and Anna Makis.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 3, 2010, at the Pence-Reese Funeral Home in Newton. Family will greet friends from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Memorials may be designated to Hospice of Jasper County and may be left at the funeral home.