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Milton L. "Bill" Nelson May 28 2009
Funeral services for Milton L. “Bill” Nelson, age 82, of Watertown, SD, will be at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1, 2009, in St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, Watertown, SD. Rev. Benjamin Radtke will officiate. Music will be provided by Brian Schwanz, organist and Doug Arndt, soloist. Milton passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2009, in a Watertown care center from an extended heart related illness. Burial, with military honors provided by Codington County Post #17 of the American Legion, Watertown, will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Watertown, SD. Pallbearers will be: Neiland Nelson, Bill Leonard, Sam Leonard, Brad Leonard, Darrin Nelson, Bret Reed, Roger Deiter and Garret Fritzemeier. Visitation will be in the Crawford Funeral Chapel, Watertown, on Sunday from 5-7 p.m. and in the church on Monday prior to the services. The family is requested to meet at the church on Monday by 1:30 p.m. for a prayer service. Milton “Bill” Nelson was born October 5, 1926, at Madison, Minnesota, the son of Lewis M. and Evelyn (Tuttle) Nelson. He graduated from Revillo High School in 1943. He enlisted in the Army Air Force October 4, 1944, at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. His tour of duty began March 3, 1945, entering military police training at Buckley Field, CO, then serving at Ft. Bragg, NC, and overseas in Germany. He was honorably discharged October 23, 1946, at Ft. Sheridan, IL. During this time he received the Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal Germany, the Good Conduct Medal, and a Distinguished Unit citation. He married Ramona Rae Ihrke on June 4, 1950, at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, Watertown, SD. Milton was employed by Sigdahl Implement in Madison, MN, from 1949 to 1952 and then farmed in the Revillo area from 1952 to 1961. He was a rural mail carrier in the Revillo and Milbank, SD, areas from 1961 to 1989. The couple retired to Watertown in June 1990. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Revillo, serving as president and secretary, acted as secretary and treasurer of the Revillo Fire Department, was commander and adjutant of the Revillo American Legion and later became a member of the Codington County American Legion. Milton served as Adams Township clerk, was a member of the Grant County Rural Letter Carrier’s Association, a member of the Grant-Deuel School district reorganization committee, and was treasurer of the Grant-Deuel School district for ten years and the Revillo Housing Development president. Milton was known as “Big Bill” when he pitched for the Madison Mallards amateur baseball team which appeared in the State Tournament in 1952. He enjoyed baseball and loved to watch the game on TV. Milton was an avid fan of his children’s and grandchildren’s athletic and musical endeavors, and also enjoyed fishing and water skiing, teaching many local youth how to water-ski. Survivors include his wife, Ramona, of Watertown; one son, Scott (Lavone) Nelson of Watertown, SD and LeMars, Iowa; three daughters: Sharee (Garret) Fritzemeier of Sioux Falls, SD, Beth (Roger) Deiter of Faulkton, SD, and Monique (Bret) Reed of Elk Point, SD; two sisters: Laura Lausch of Milbank, SD and Norma Upton of Ft. Worth, TX; nine grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, and two step great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; and one sister, Donna Leonard Jankord.

Milton L. "Bill" Nelson
May 28 2009

Funeral services for Milton L. “Bill” Nelson, age 82, of Watertown, SD, will be at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1, 2009, in St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, Watertown, SD. Rev. Benjamin Radtke will officiate. Music will be provided by Brian Schwanz, organist and Doug Arndt, soloist. Milton passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2009, in a Watertown care center from an extended heart related illness.

Burial, with military honors provided by Codington County Post #17 of the American Legion, Watertown, will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Watertown, SD. Pallbearers will be: Neiland Nelson, Bill Leonard, Sam Leonard, Brad Leonard, Darrin Nelson, Bret Reed, Roger Deiter and Garret Fritzemeier.

Visitation will be in the Crawford Funeral Chapel, Watertown, on Sunday from 5-7 p.m. and in the church on Monday prior to the services. The family is requested to meet at the church on Monday by 1:30 p.m. for a prayer service.

Milton “Bill” Nelson was born October 5, 1926, at Madison, Minnesota, the son of Lewis M. and Evelyn (Tuttle) Nelson. He graduated from Revillo High School in 1943. He enlisted in the Army Air Force October 4, 1944, at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. His tour of duty began March 3, 1945, entering military police training at Buckley Field, CO, then serving at Ft. Bragg, NC, and overseas in Germany. He was honorably discharged October 23, 1946, at Ft. Sheridan, IL. During this time he received the Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal Germany, the Good Conduct Medal, and a Distinguished Unit citation.

He married Ramona Rae Ihrke on June 4, 1950, at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, Watertown, SD. Milton was employed by Sigdahl Implement in Madison, MN, from 1949 to 1952 and then farmed in the Revillo area from 1952 to 1961. He was a rural mail carrier in the Revillo and Milbank, SD, areas from 1961 to 1989. The couple retired to Watertown in June 1990.

He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Revillo, serving as president and secretary, acted as secretary and treasurer of the Revillo Fire Department, was commander and adjutant of the Revillo American Legion and later became a member of the Codington County American Legion. Milton served as Adams Township clerk, was a member of the Grant County Rural Letter Carrier’s Association, a member of the Grant-Deuel School district reorganization committee, and was treasurer of the Grant-Deuel School district for ten years and the Revillo Housing Development president.

Milton was known as “Big Bill” when he pitched for the Madison Mallards amateur baseball team which appeared in the State Tournament in 1952. He enjoyed baseball and loved to watch the game on TV. Milton was an avid fan of his children’s and grandchildren’s athletic and musical endeavors, and also enjoyed fishing and water skiing, teaching many local youth how to water-ski.

Survivors include his wife, Ramona, of Watertown; one son, Scott (Lavone) Nelson of Watertown, SD and LeMars, Iowa; three daughters: Sharee (Garret) Fritzemeier of Sioux Falls, SD, Beth (Roger) Deiter of Faulkton, SD, and Monique (Bret) Reed of Elk Point, SD; two sisters: Laura Lausch of Milbank, SD and Norma Upton of Ft. Worth, TX; nine grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, and two step great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one sister, Donna Leonard Jankord.

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