Isla Mae Nelson, 97, died March 28, 2006.
She was born Aug. 22, 1908, in Dolliver, Emmett County, Iowa, to Arthur Eugene and Carrie (Ennenga) Thompson. In 1914 the family moved to Northwood, Iowa. There she attended school and graduated in 1923. She married Arthur Allen Turner on Sept. 17, 1928. They had three children, Gerald, Russell and Marvin. They divorced in October 1936. She married Rasmus James Nelson on Dec. 6, 1936. They lived on a farm near Ellendale until June 1956, when they moved onto a farm west of Bertha. They had three children, Nora, Janet and Floyd. Mrs. Nelson belonged to the Faith United Church of Christ in Bertha. She taught Sunday school for 10 years and vacation Bible school for three years. She was also a member of the Ladies Fellowship Guild and a devotional leader for 13 years. In 2000, she and her husband entered the Shady Lane Nursing Home (now Fair Oaks Lodge) in Wadena.
Her funeral was April 4 at the Faith United Church of Christ in Bertha with the Rev. Orville Sauter officiating. Burial was in the Zion Cemetery west of Bertha. Casketbearers were her grandsons, Kendall Nix, Dallas Turner, Timothy Turner, Gordon, Bartels, Jeffrey Nelson, Glenn Bartels, Gerald Bartels and Gary Bartels. Honorary casketbearers were her granddaughters Tammy Moen, ValJean Ingram, Kara Schwartz, Gloriann Tritsch and Georgiann Meier. Domian-Anderson Funeral Home of Bertha-Eagle Bend was in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include two daughters, Nora (Cyril) Nix of Aitkin and Janet (Carroll) Boehland of Bertha; three sons, Russell (Ellen) Turner of Austin, Marvin (Geraldine) Turner of Dawson and Floyd (Sandy) Nelson of Big Lake; one sister, Viola Thompson of Northwood, Iowa;13 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Rasmus in 2002; parents Arthur and Carrie Thompson; infant son Gerald Leroy Turner; sister Myrtle Nelson; and brothers Orn Thompson and Eugene Thompson.
