Nellie Meyer

Nellie Meyer, age 94, of Sioux Rapids, Iowa died on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at the St. Luke Lutheran Home in Spencer, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Sioux Rapids. Burial will be in the Lone Tree Cemetery in Sioux Rapids. Visitation will take place on Monday, May 27, 2019 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Sliefert Funeral Home in Sioux Rapids. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Sioux Rapids is in charge of the arrangements. 

She was born on August 24, 1924 on a farm southeast of Sioux Rapids, Iowa, a farm that continued to be her home for 62 years. She was the youngest child of Olaf and Marie Benson, both immigrants from Mosjen, Norway.

Nellie was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Rapids. She graduated from Sioux Rapids High School in 1942. On November 30, 1942, she was united in marriage to Donald Meyer of Marathon, Iowa in a double wedding ceremony with another couple who remained lifelong friends. They were married for one month short of 60 years when Don passed away in 2002. They were blessed with four children: Nancy, Donna, Allan, and Dennis.

Nellie enjoyed being a homemaker and a mother and assisting Don with the farming operation. Never idle, she was generous with her cooking and baking, especially for work crews and for neighborhood and family gatherings. She was proud of her Norwegian heritage and continued the tradition of making lefse and krumkake for Christmas throughout her life. Her Norwegian Hardanger embroidery pieces created for her children and grandchildren are treasured keepsakes. Nellie also made quilts, afghans, crocheted runners, and many other handmade items.

After farming for 43 years, Don and Nellie moved to a home in Sioux Rapids in 1985. They continued to own the farm which became a century farm in 2011, an important milestone for Nellie. In town, they enjoyed playing cards, especially cribbage and 500, often starting the day with a round of cribbage after breakfast. Nellie took part in card groups that played both in members’ homes and at the Tuesday Dinner Date in Sioux Rapids. She was an avid reader, devouring several books a week year after year.

Those who knew Nellie know that she had a good sense of humor, strong opinions, and a spirited zest for life. She will be missed.

She is survived by her children: Nancy (Gail) Todd of Holstein, Iowa; Donna Todd of Spencer, Iowa; Allan (Sonja) Meyer of Buckeye, Arizona; and Dennis (Bev) Meyer of Minneapolis, Minnesota; her grandchildren: Kerby Todd, Kiley Todd, Kris Todd, Gina Heiter, Saree Luce, Brenda Blackford, Scott Meyer, Andrew Meyer, Lynn Meyer, Becky Sanchez, Mikayla Rettig, Adam Meyer, Daniel Meyer, and by foster grandson, Mike Ellis. She is also survived by 21 great-grandchildren, 3 foster great-grandchildren, 2 foster great-grandchildren, 10 nieces and nephews, and sister-in-law, Violet Meyer.

Nellie was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her parents; her son-in-law, Eugene “Pete” Todd; her brother, Omar and sister, Grace and their spouses; and her former daughter-in-law, Lois Meyer.

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