Final Salute

ALCESTER, SD—Eldon Waldemar Nilson, 87, Alcester, SD, died Wednesday, March 17, 2021, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD.

Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 20, at Nora Cemetery, rural Alcester, SD.

Visitations will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday, March 19, and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 20, at Wass Funeral Home in Alcester, SD.

Eldon Nilson was born Feb. 1, 1934, to Sigmund August and Edna Luelle (Peck) Nilson in the Virginia Township of Union County, SD. In 1952, he graduated from Hawarden High School and joined the Navy Reserves as a Seabee while working on the farm with his dad. In 1954, he married Juanita Nissen. His son, Brian, was born just over a year before he was called up for active-duty service with the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11. During this time, he built barracks on Kwajalein Atoll and then helped with road construction on Kodiak Island, AK. By the end of his service, he was a Petty Officer 2nd Class.

After his military service, Eldon purchased a red Ford semi-truck and began trucking. Shortly thereafter, he met and in 1960, married, Waneta Boutz and bonus daughter, Liz, joined the family. In 1963, he and Waneta purchased the home quarter (160 acre) farm South of Alcester. He continued to drive truck while raising 2000-2500 head of cattle and growing corn. He continued to drive truck, while farming, until suffering a stroke in 1991. After the stroke, he made modifications to his farming equipment so he could continue to farm. In 2013, grandson, Jeremiah, moved back to the farm to help him. Jeremiah would eventually take over running the now 1200-acre farm so Eldon could enjoy retirement. In his later years, he enjoyed traveling in his pick-up and would frequently spend his winters in Texas and Mexico; he even drove down to the Guatemalan Border at one time. He often joked that if a person didn’t talk about cattle, corn, or kids; then there wasn’t much to talk about as his family and farming were his life.

Eldon is survived by his five children, Brian (Margret) Nilson, Austin, TX, Liz Randall, Buckeye, AZ, Carrie (Art) Tveit, Beresford, SD, Carla (Larry) Havlin, Peoria, AZ, and Loren (Carla) Nilson, LeMars, IA; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters, Audrey Rolfes, Alcester, SD and Gereldine Schreur, Alcester, SD; and his brother, Larry Nilson, Hawarden, IA.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Quinton, Wendell and Loren; infant daughter, Rita Renee Nilson; his wives, Juanita (Nilson) Buske, Waneta (Boutz) Nilson, and Charlotte (McSparen) Nilson; special friends, Shirley Arens and Patricia Russo; and two grandsons, Kyle Evan Nilson and Kole Andrew Nilson.