DeLoyd Edward Nelson, 89, passed away at Wesley Village in Macomb, Illinois after a brief hospice stay with his family by his side at 7:38 p.m. on Sept. 26, 2024. He bravely battled Parkinson’s Disease for over 20 years. He lived at Knox County Nursing Home from 2019 until recently.
DeLoyd was born May 30, 1935, at home in Alexis, Illinois the son of Oscar and Mabel Lindeen Nelson. He married Nancy Joan Colver on August 14, 1970, at Messiah Lutheran Church, Henderson Grove. He is survived by his two children, DeAnn (Jason) Spring and DeLane Nelson, of rural Galesburg; three grandchildren, Annika, Sawyer and Sadler Spring; his brother, Eugene (and Janet) Nelson of Galesburg and brother-in-law, Gerald (Jill) Colver of Roland, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Nancy in 2022; his brother, Theodore Nelson in 2001; his sister, Maribelle Krause in 2004; his brother, Elliot Nelson in 2011; and his brother Quentin Nelson who passed away on the same day as DeLoyd.
DeLoyd attended Forest Flower Country School, Hitchcock and graduated from Galesburg High School in 1953. He was a member of Messiah Lutheran Church. He was a proud Army Veteran, serving from 1958-1960. He completed basic training in Fort Hood, Texas and was stationed in Kirch-Gons, Germany. He proudly told of teaching personnel carrier ‘Drivers Training’ in the Army; he would explain that all the soldiers passed his training. One of his proudest life moments was getting Elvis Presley autographs from the King himself while serving in Germany; he gifted one to his sister, Maribel and kept his hidden away for safekeeping for many years- in latter years he carried it in his wallet and loved to show it to people he met.
DeLoyd was a farmer all of his life; growing corn and beans, milking cows, raising pigs and cattle and baling hay. For enjoyment he loved having ponies, donkeys and cats. He looked forward to reading the Tractor House Magazine and The Register Mail daily and searching the classified section and going to auctions and farm sales. He made sure his TV was on the right channel each night, so the Farm Show came on in the morning. He served Jury Duty one time for US District Court. He enjoyed the jurors he met during the few weeks he spent driving to Rock Island; he took it seriously and had to ‘get on the road.’ He always hoped he’d get to serve jury duty again. He treated himself to a Chevy Monte Carlo SS in 1989, this car was memorable for his family. He loved to visit with neighbors and friends and didn’t pay any attention to a clock, there was always time to talk and enjoy conversation.
Friday night trips to the Kewanee Sale Barn with his family and grandchildren provided the family with many adventures, -extra items and animals. His love of the farm has been passed down to his children and grandchildren. Annika and Sadler raise pigs. Sawyer follows in his grandfather’s footsteps with farming full time (even foregoing his senior year to get in the field and earning his diploma a different way), raising ducks and enjoying Kit-Kats. DeLoyd loved a good meal, filling his plate to the brim, eating Ostakaka to honor his Swedish heritage, and spending holidays with his family. He had an annual tradition of going to Kirlin’s candy store in the middle of the Sandburg Mall to get each person in his family a pre-wrapped box of candy for Christmas. He loved a cold drink from the hose-and always offered those around him a drink, too. It was obvious that he loved John Deere tractors and trips with DeLane to buy farm equipment.
His immediate family plans a private service with Deacon Michael Crummer and DeLoyd will be laid to rest on the family farm, in a treasured spot along a field of rolling hills, where the corn will grow, and the seasons will change, and you can see Nelson Farms shop in the distance with Sawyer’s ducks and chickens. His family has got the chores from here on out….well done, we love you; you’re forever our favorite farmer.
The family would like to thank his friends at Knox County Nursing Home for being there for him the last five years- thank you for putting on his John Deere hat and making sure he had his tractor magazine close-by. We would also like to thank MDH Hospice and Wesley Village in Macomb for their excellent care and compassion. Memorials may be made to Messiah Lutheran Church, Henderson Grove or Knox County 4H.
Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services Galesburg Chapel is assisting his family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com
