Cleone Rae Nelson

CLEONE RAE NELSON – Cleone Nelson died at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction, CO on August 15, 2025. She was born on January 6, 1937 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Andrew Crawford & Irma Andersen; they lived in nearby Grimes. They moved to Missouri Valley, IA, and then, during World War II they move to Little Rock, AK where her father worked for the American Red Cross. After the war they move to Defiance, IA, and then, when she was in the 5th grade, to Algona, IA, where she lived through High School. She played drums in the Algona High School Band. One of her summer jobs was de-tasseling corn by hand. After graduating from High School she attended Stephens College in Columbia, MO. She transferred to Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA. Her summer jobs while in college included working summer camps at Lake Geneva, WI and Spirit Lake, IA and supervising activities at Grand View Park in Des Moines, IA. In 1959 she graduated from Cornell with a degree in Elementary Education. Upon graduating she moved to Denver, CO and taught 1st grade in Denver in and Westminster, CO for five years. In later life she was a substitute teacher in Broomfield, Westminster & Thornton. On June 15, 1963 she married Richard Nelson and resided in Denver, Aurora, Pueblo and Lakewood, CO. In 1977 they moved to Broomfield, CO and lived there for 44 years. In 2020, they moved to Grand Junction, CO. One of her great joys was coffee with friends at the Broomfield McDonalds. Also, she and a fellow member of the Lutheran Church of Hope, started weekly coffee ‘The Lutheran Hour’, at McDonalds. In Grand Junction this tradition continued with coffee with friends at Starbucks. She is survived by her husband Richard Nelson and sons Andrew Nelson of Grand Junction and Daniel Nelson (Marian) of Grand Junction and four grandsons, Zach, Caleb, Noah and Titus. Services will be held on September 5th at 11:00am at the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Junction. Burial Services will be held on September 19th at 11:00am at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, CO. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the First Presbyterian Church’s Organ Fund.