LEE B.  NELSON , 82, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Saturday morning, February 29, 2020 at his home in Cherokee.

Memorial services will be held on Thursday, March 5 ^th , at 1:30 p.m. at the St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Rev. Cris Decious will officiate. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Cherokee, Iowa with military rites by L.A. Wescott Post #2253 of the V.F.W. and the Cherokee American Legion. There will be a family prayer service at 1:15 p.m. at the church on Thursday. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. with the family present from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Lee was born on June 10, 1937 at Cherokee, Iowa to Edgar & Fannie (Wright) Nelson. He attended Cherokee Schools. He served his country in the United States Navy from 1956 until being honorably discharged in 1960. Lee was married to Janice C. Walker on January 31, 1961 at Melvin, Iowa. He had worked at Walnut Grove in Cherokee from 1960 until 1965 when Wilson Foods opened. He started there in 1965 and worked in the powerhouse for several years and then switched to the Maintenance Department and worked there until he retired in 2003. He was a lifelong resident of Cherokee, Iowa.

Lee was a member of the St. Paul's United Methodist Church, L.A. Wescott Post #2253 V.F.W. Cherokee American Legion and the Little Sioux Wildlife Association. He enjoyed Astronomy, keeping up on the news around the world, tinkering in the garage, where he could fix most anything. He also liked going to the sprint car races, which he did for many years and had helped Francis Heid with his race cars.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers and sisters and their spouses; Edgar "Punk" Nelson, James (Jean) Nelson, William "Bill" Geraldine Nelson, George "Swede" (Anita) Nelson, Jean (Jerry) Reed; brothers-in-law Carl Lilja, Garland Peck, and his lifelong best friend Henry Phipps.

He is survived by his wife Janice of 59 years of Cherokee, Iowa; two sons: David Nelson of Cherokee, Iowa; Dr. Daniel Nelson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and his fiancé Grace Eugenio; one brother and five sisters: Paul Nelson of Des Moines, Iowa; Pauline Nelson of Cherokee, Iowa; Doris Lilja of Storm Lake, Iowa; Fern Peck of Rockford, Illinois; Jane Nelson of Cherokee, Iowa; Dorothy (Calvin) Boggs of Jackson, Minnesota; also many nieces and nephews.