Irma Joan Nelson

Irma Joan Nelson, 54, of New London, MN went to dwell with her heavenly father on April 26, 2018 at the Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, MN. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at the Beckville Lutheran Church in rural Litchfield, MN. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 8:00 PM on Tuesday at Beckville Lutheran Church and will continue one hour prior to the service on Wednesday. Interment will be held in Beckville Lutheran Church. Joan was born on December 7, 1963 in Muscatine, Iowa, the daughter of Wayne F. Brendel and Mary Snow Hilton Brendel. She grew up in the small town of Letts, Iowa with her two siblings Bill and Jenny Brendel. She graduated from L-M high school in 1982. She then went to college to become a hair stylist. She worked as a beautician for many years around the Muscatine area making many lifelong friends. In 1987 she was gifted a daughter Danie Richards (Eggers) who would be her only child. As a long time mother, she wanted something more, so she went back to school in 2001, starting a journey to receive a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. She graduated from Kaplan University in Davenport, Iowa in 2005. She then went on to start a job at Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Riverside, Iowa as a security manager. She was an EMT, a CPR instructor and started a first responder program at Riverside Casino. She made many friends there. In 2010 Joan began working as a dispatcher for the Minnesota region of Syngenta Seeds in Lone Tree, Iowa where she met her soulmate and the love of her life David Nelson. They were united in marriage on March 4, 2017 in Beckville Lutheran Church where Joan also became a member. In 2008 her grandson Jacson Wayne (punkin) was born and the two built a bond that will never be broken. In 2017 she was blessed with her second grandson Gehrig who made her eyes sparkle. Joan and David’s faith in God has given them peace during Joan’s final journey. Joan is survived by her husband David of New London, MN; daughter Danie (Nick) Richards; grandsons Jacson and Gehrig of Wilton, Iowa; stepson Jayden of Litchfield, MN; mother Mary Snow Brendel of Willmar, MN; brother Bill (Kim) Brendel of Queen Creek, AZ; sister Jenny Milner of New London, MN; father-in-law H. Wayne Nelson of Litchfield, MN; brothers-in-law Mike Nelson of Litchfield, MN and Marcus (Barb) Nelson of Litchfield, MN; sister-in-law Sandra (Neil) Dovre of Cottonwood, MN; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and very special friends. Preceding her in death was her father Wayne Brendel; grandparents Ford and Irma Hilton and Bill and Dorothy Brendel; and mother-in-law Joyce Nelson. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society, Rice Memorial Dialysis or the Beckville Lutheran Church Sunday School. There will be a celebration of life at the Letts united Methodist Church in Letts, Iowa at a later time.