Kathryn "Kay" Nelson

Kathryn “Kay Lou” Ahart Nelson was born March 11th, 1934, near Dow City, Iowa, on the farm place where she and her husband raised their children and resided for nearly forty years. She was the daughter of Louis J. and Clara M. (Schweizer) Ahart. Kay attended the Dow City Community School, graduating with the class of 1953. While in high school she enjoyed playing basketball along side of her sister, Connie. Following graduation, she worked as a nurse aide at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital until the time of her marriage to Lyell Nelson on June 18th, 1955. Kay was proud to be a busy farm wife, working alongside Lyell for many years. She and Lyell were the blessed parents of three children, Jeri, Tammy, and Rick. While her children were at home, Kay was very involved in their lives, being sure to attend every activity in which they participated. As a passionate mother and grandmother, Kay was thrilled to welcome ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren into the family circle. She took great pleasure in being an attentive and active grandmother.
Grandma Kay, as she became known, enjoyed traveling, along with family and friends, and reached her goal of seeing all fifty states as well as several foreign countries. Most of all she enjoyed family camping trips and their annual trip to the Iowa State Fair. She prided herself on being from Dow City and was the “Ultimate Greyhound,” loving to wear and display her precious orange and black. Kay looked forward to Memorial Day Weekend every year when family and friends would gather to attend the Dow City Alumni Banquet, which she never missed.
After her husband’s passing in 1994, Grandma Kay moved to town where her garage was a gathering place for one-and-all to eat, play cards, celebrate birthdays, holidays, and simply enjoy being together. She could make a meal out of anything she had on hand at a minute’s notice, and was always sure to have Sunday breakfast ready for her family and anyone who stopped by.
Kay was a lifetime member of the Dow City United Methodist Church. She belonged to two chapters of the Red Hat Society, was a coffee goer, and card player. You would find her most Saturday mornings amongst her friends at the Denison Sale Barn Cafe. It was rare to find her at home without company. One of her greatest pleasures was working in the lunch room and daycare at the Boyer Valley Elementary School.
Grandma Kay entered into her eternal home on Thursday, January 22, 2015, at the age of 80. She was surrounded by many of her family she so dearly loved. She will always be remembered by her love for others and her devotion as a mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, daughter, wife, and friend. Grandma Kay made the world a better place.
Kay is proceeded in death by her parents, her husband, Lyell, his parents, Nels and Emma, sister-in-law, Irene Lambert and her husband Laverne, and brother-in-law, Jim Buss. She will be dearly missed by her daughters Jeri and her husband, Rick, Tammy and her husband, Tom, and her son, Rick, and his wife, Hollie, her beloved grandchildren, Nels (Stacie), Nate (Jamie) Luke, Beth, Annie (Seth), Jana (Bart), Wade (Haley), Jordan, Megan, and Taylor, her great-grandchildren, Kaylyn, Kenadee, Kemper, Emma, Maddex, Madilyn, and Leo; her sister
Connie, and brothers, Louis Clair and wife Sandi, and Kyle and his wife Becky, sister-in-law Ruth Jane Harrington, and countless family members and friends.