Robert Nelson

ROBERT NELSON

Hopkinton

Robert E. Nelson, 91, of Hopkinton, died Tuesday, June 2, 2015. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 12, at the Hopkinton Community Church. Family will greet friends from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at Bohnenkamp-Murdoch Funeral Home, Man-chester. Burial will be at Buck Creek Cemetery, Hopkinton.

Robert was born Aug. 5, 1923, near Greeley, Iowa, the son of Fred and Marie (Sprague) Nelson. Robert graduated from Buck Creek Consolidated School and attended Lenox College in Hopkinton. He married Esther Ransier on June 16, 1946, in Robins. Robert returned to college at the age of 35 and received his degree from Upper Iowa University, majoring in education. He completed graduate work at the University of Northern Iowa, where he received his teaching certificate with endorsements in special education and reading. Robert taught special classes in Oneida for two years before teaching special education, developmental reading and speed reading at West Delaware High School.

After his retirement in 1985, Robert continued farming near Delhi and handmade over 20,000 crosses that were sent all over the world.

Robert is survived by his wife, Esther; three daughters, Janice (Ken) Rion of Monticello, Ruth Ann (Robert) Kugel of Manchester and RoseMary (Gary) Timmer of Rochester, Minn.; seven grandchildren, Matthew (Lauretta) Rion, Sarah (Mike) Denniston, Stefani (Craig) Dauderman, Amee (Chris) Mertens, Amber (Brooks) Groves, Garrison Robert Timmer and Rochelle Timmer; and nine great-grandchildren, Sean and Emily Denniston, Shauna and Kailey Dauderman, Audrey, Julianna and Noah Groves, and Alaina and Aliese Mertens.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents.

Please share a memory of Robert at www.murdoch funeralhome.com under obituaries.