Leland E. Nelson

Leland E. Nelson, age 87 of Atwater, MN, died on June 10, 2017 at the Meeker Manor in Litchfield, MN. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, June 16, 2017 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater, MN. Visitation will be held from 4:30 - 7:30 PM on Thursday June 15 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater, MN and will continue one hour prior to the service at church on Friday. Interment will be held at Union Cemetery in Atwater, MN. Military honors will be provided by the Atwater American Legion Honor Guard. Leland Elmer Nelson, the son of Elmer and Ruby (Holmgren) Nelson, was born on April 23, 1930 in Litchfield, MN and received his education at the rural District 39 School. He served in the US Army until getting an early honorable discharge when his father died. Leland loved to dance to polka and waltz music and met Iila at the Pla-Mor Dance Hall in Glencoe, MN. They were united in marriage on June 24, 1961 in Buffalo Lake, MN and she moved to the family farm in Atwater, where Leland lived his whole life. Leland farmed with his brother Paul and together they crop farmed, and raised chickens, beef and hogs. He was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater and the Atwater American Legion. He liked to have coffee, sometimes twice a day in Atwater at Casey's and Peaceful Thymes and enjoyed fishing when he was younger, deer hunting, woodworking and attending his grandkids sporting events. He is survived by his wife Iila Nelson of Atwater, MN; daughters Carol (John) Slinden of Grove City, MN, JoAnne (Jon) Nelson-Larson of Atwater, MN and Julie (Greg) Holt of Windom, MN; 8 grandchildren Ashley (Jay) Thissen, Jonathan (Jaime) Slinden, Joel Slinden, Alii Holt, Jake (Kaylee) Holt, Lee Holt, Sydney Larson and Brody Larson; great granddaughter Lauren Thissen; brother Paul (Betty) Nelson of Atwater, MN; sisters Lorriane Kaatz and Norma (Sam) Holmgren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents Elmer and Ruby; and brother-in-law Marvin Kaatz. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Atwater Area Help for Seniors or Grove City C.A.R.E.Previous Events Visitation Friday, June 16, 2017 10:30 AM Bethlehem Lutheran Church 312 South Main Atwater, MN 56209 Visitation Friday, June 16, 2017 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM Bethlehem Lutheran Church 312 South Main Atwater, MN 56209