In loving memory of

Frank E. Nelson
May 25, 1935 - January 8, 2020

FRANK E. NELSON
MUSCATINE, Iowa - Frank E. Nelson, 84, passed away on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, at The Bird House - Hospice Home of Johnson County.

Visitation will be held at 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2020, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Spangler Chapel United Methodist Church. Online condolences: www.wittichfuneralhome.com.


A second visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at Spangler Chapel United Methodist Church. Funeral Service will be held following visitation at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at the church. Reverend David Wittmann will officiate.

Frank was born May 25, 1935, in Muscatine, the son of Frank A. and Dorothea W. DeCamp Nelson. He married Patricia M. Beinke on December 22, 1955, in Wilton, Iowa. They recently celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary.

Frank was a 1953 graduate of Muscatine High School. He also attended and graduated from several colleges and Universities. Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1955-1958. Upon honorable discharge, he worked at Bandag Inc. While employed at Bandag, he developed the Service Engineering Department and traveled to over 60 countries. He was called upon by the U.S. Pentagon to be a military civilian advisor to develop a solution during Desert Storm for the tire failures they were experiencing. He retired from Bandag Inc. in 1997 as the Vice President of Product Assurance.

Frank attended Spangler Chapel United Methodist Church. He enjoyed feeding wildlife and turned his 80-acre farm into a wildlife refuge. Frank was very fond of spending time at their cabin for family celebrations, and loved his Siberian Husky, Siba.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Patricia Nelson of Muscatine; four sons, Gregory Nelson and his children, Cory Nelson and Cody Nelson, all of Muscatine, Allen Nelson and wife, Brenda, of North Liberty, and their children, Brad Nelson and Tiffany Nelson, of Des Moines, Alex Nelson and Matt Nelson, of North Liberty, and Jarad Kraft and wife, Kayla, of Wapello, Neal Nelson and wife, Judi, of Fruitland, and their children, Jenni Gales and husband, John, of Fruitland, Austin Nelson of Lakeville, Minnesota, Stephanie Dietrich of Muscatine, Maddison Olsen of Muscatine, and Amy Olsen of Ames, and Mark Nelson and his children Hannah and Ava Nelson, all of Bettendorf; six great grandchildren, Lydia, Laila, Carter, Eli, Kinley, and Leo; one sister, Linda Alberti and husband, Kerry, of Glen Allen, Virginia; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents; his parents; and two sisters, Joyce Caldwell and Mary Ann Tooman.

Tributes

Gary Van Blaricom wrote on Feb 14, 2020:

"A genuine man and always to the point. A quality I truly admired. So Dearly missed "

Ronna Thuman wrote on Jan 21, 2020:

"I am so sorry for your loss, Frank was a great man to work with at Bandag. Ronna Thuman"

Joyce Stych wrote on Jan 15, 2020:

"Allen I am so sorry for your loss, your Father was a good person and always so nice to me in my years at Bandag, he and Maynard were friends also ! Joyce and Maynard Stych"

John Lodge wrote on Jan 14, 2020:

"I worked with Frank for over 20 years. I never saw him when he was not positive or confident about what was the right thing to do. He was "A Straight Arrow". You could count on him doing the right thing every time. In many ways he was the face of Bandag, because our customers knew they could trust him and count on him to get them up and running. Frank was devoted to his wife and children. He was a friend as well as a coworker. He was a good man! John Lodge"

Cindi (Ruckles) Bolton wrote on Jan 14, 2020:

"Frank was a great guy of whom I had the pleasure of working with while employed at Bandag. He will be missed by many. My thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time. Cindi (Ruckles) Bolton"

Jake Jacobs wrote on Jan 13, 2020:

"To the man who hired me to work in the best company with the best people and at the best job I have ever had. Thank you Frank I will miss you and that great big laugh. Jake Jacobs"