Dale Nelson

1938 - 2020

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Dale Nelson, 82, of Lone Tree, died Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, at Mercy One Hospital in Centerville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to the family to sponsor a Memorial Trap Shoot honoring Dale and his wife, Jo Ann.  Online condolences for the family may be sent to www.sandhfuneralservice.com. 

Dale Nelson was born Sept. 11, 1938, in Marshalltown, Iowa, the son of Emmanuel and M. Caroline (Davis) Nelson. He was a 1957 graduate of Lone Tree High School and attended the Devry Institute of Technology.   

On April 5, 1958, Dale was united in marriage to Jo Ann Frank at the First Methodist Church in Iowa City.  Dale worked at Proctor and Gamble for 17 years before owning and operating Nelson Trenching, Nelson Oil and Nelson Enterprises.  He later retired from the University of Iowa Sheet Metal Shop. 

Dale was a life member of the Amateur Trapshooting Association and the Iowa State Trapshooting Association.  He shot over 246,000 targets.  Dale and Jo Anne participated in the Iowa, Illinois and Missouri State Championships, the Fall Handicap at the Lake of Ozarks and Shoots most weekends.  They also competed in the National Championships held in Vandalia, Ohio, and Sparta, Illinois. 

Even in his later years, when he wasn’t shooting, he still enjoyed going to visit with the hundreds of friends the couple had made and watch his son, Kevin, compete.  He was very proud of Jo Ann’s two Woman’s Championships at the Grand American HDCP and her posthumous induction into the Iowa Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 2018.  The couple also enjoyed collecting antique glassware.     

Dale was a NASCAR fan and was able to see Knoxville raceway in his lifetime.  He could be found cheering for the Iowa Hawkeye football team and enjoyed watching the games with his son, Chip, grandson, Clinton Jr., and his great-grandsons.

Dale will be dearly missed by his sons: Clinton “Chip” Nelson, Sr. of Marengo and Kevin (Teresa) Nelson of Centerville; grandchildren: Clinton (Melissa) Nelson Jr., Robert (Trina) Nelson, Rhyan Nelson and Dakota (Kate) Nelson; three great-grandchildren and one on the way.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; sister: Sharon Nelson-Huff; and aunt: Jackie Grady.