Mr. Nelson was born Dec. 17, 1917, in Allen. He was a farmer.

Survivors include his wife, Bonnie, of Salina; three sons, Tommy Wayne of Missoula, Mont., Dick Allen of Aurora, Colo., and Ricky David of Salina; three daughters, Penny Lee Hewitt and Barbara Jean Nelson, both of Roy, Utah, and Carla Ann Adamson of Englewood, Colo.; two sisters, Ida Marie Braton of Emporia and Anna Ethal Brown of Moline; a brother, Floyd Oliver of Santa Anna, Calif.; 18 grandchildren, eight stepgranchildren, six great-grandchildren and 10 stepgreat-grandchildren.

The funeral will be at 9 a.m. Thursday at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 845 S. Ohio. Burial will be at noon in Americus Cemetery, Americus, with full military honors provided by the U.S. Army, Fort Riley.