Eleanor Viola Nelson

Hills, MN Eleanor Nelson, age 86 of Hills, MN died Saturday, April 4, 2015 at the Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Thursday, April 9th at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills, MN, with Pastor Ron Nichols officiating. Burial will follow at Flowerfield Cemetery near Hills, MN. Visitation will be Wednesday, April 8th from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills. Eleanor Viola Larson was born on May 2, 1928 on a farm south of Hills, MN to Edward and Karen (Ihlen) Larson. She had eight sisters and three brothers. She lived on the farm until her mother passed away in June of 1941 when she was 13 years old. The next year she moved to Hills where she lived with her three sisters. Eleanor graduated from Hills High School in 1947. She worked for Blue Ribbon Hatchery candeling eggs. On May 13, 1950 she was married to Charles Merle Nelson. To this union six children were born. While her children were in school she was a cook in the Hills school kitchen. Eleanor loved gardening and growing flowers and listening to music. Her greatest love was watching her family grow. Among her best memories were family vacations out west and up north to the lakes. She was in church circle and sang in the Trinity Church choir. In the year 2000 her husband Charles passed away. This past winter Eleanor's health began to fail and on Saturday April 4th she passed away in Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls at the age of 86. She will be greatly missed. Eleanor is survived by her children, Sandy (Steve) Bennett of Beaver Creek; Tom (Megan) Nelson of Luverne, MN; Mike (Deb) Nelson of Sioux Falls, SD; Jean (Nick) Wysong of Hills, MN; and Joan (Wade) Johnson of Wilmont, MN; 14 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; sister, Ruth DeHaan of Dallas, TX; brother, Edward "Bud" Larson of Sioux Falls, SD; sister, Carol (Ernie) Arnold of Woodbridge, VA. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Charles; daughter, Debra Nelson; infant grandsons, Jeffrey Bennett, Cruz Wysong, and Dillon Wysong.