Oct. 2, 1924 - March 13, 2006
ATWATER -- Merle Alton Nielson, 81, of Atwater, died Monday at Bethesda Heritage Center in Willmar.
The service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater. Burial will be at Union Cemetery in Atwater, with military honors provided by the Samstad-Jensen American Legion Post 375.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Atwater Funeral Home and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Memorials are preferred to the Rice Hospice Program.
He was born Oct. 2, 1924, near Lake Lillian to Guy and Esther (Johnson) Nielson. He grew up in that area and attended Atwater schools. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in the Pacific Theater. He was discharged in 1946 and returned to Atwater.
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He married Hazel Peterson on Sept. 21, 1946, in Atwater. They lived in Atwater and he worked for Central State Contractors. They lived in several places. He owned and operated the Standard Oil Bulk Truck for a couple of years before returning to Central State Contractors. He worked for Central State Contractors for 30 years. He moved to Litchfield in 1979 and worked for Johnson Brothers Construction. They moved to Atwater in 1988. He retired in 1989. After his retirement, he worked for Midwest Locomotive, Holm Brothers Plumbing and Heating and A.I.R. in Atwater.
He was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and served as an usher, Sunday school teacher, and treasurer. He was a past commander of the Atwater Legion, past master of the Atwater Masonic Lodge, a member of the Willmar Area Shrine Club, IUOE Local 49, 1st Cavalry Division Association, 5th U.S. Cavalry Association, the Veteran Association, and was a charter organized representative of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 221.
He is survived by his wife; children: Wyman (and Diane) Nielson of West Linn, Ore., Wendell (and Mary) Nielson of Elk River, Wayne (and Vicki) Nielson of Hutchinson, Judy (and Gary) Fuchs of Atwater; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his siblings: Glenis (and Betty) Nielson of St. Paul, Rolland (and Colleen) Nielson of St. Cloud, and Genevive Anderson and Efflin Dahl, both of Willmar.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister in infancy.
