Kathleen Nelson
January 5, 1917 ~ July 10, 2014
Served by: Luce, Luze & Reck Funeral Homes
Kay Nelson, 97, of Miller, passed away Thursday, July 10, 2014 at the Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital, Miller.
Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 12, 2014 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Miller with Father Chester Murtha, celebrant. Burial followed at St. Ann’s Catholic Cemetery, Miller. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service at the church.
Kathleen Lois Corcoran was born on January 5, 1917 in Miller, South Dakota to Charles and Ida (Clarin) Corcoran. She attended Miller schools except for two years that she attended grade school in Watertown. She graduated from Miller High School in 1935 and then attended Northern State College in Aberdeen.
Kay worked at the Federal Land Bank office in Miller and later moved to Huron where she worked at the State Employment Office. In 1941 she moved to California and worked as a secretary at Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica, California.
On May 3, 1942, she married Leonard Nelson, of St. Lawrence, SD, in Los Angeles, CA. They later moved back to South Dakota where they raised their five children. Over the years, Kay was a volunteer for the Miller Schools, the American Red Cross and worked part-time at the Miller Livestock Auction and Cal-Fay Fashions. She also often was a poll worker at election times. Kay was a member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church. She enjoyed doing ceramics, playing cards and traveling. She was the last active founding member of a Miller bridge club that began in 1935. In the later years of their marriage, Leonard and Kay spent 31 years wintering in Mesa, Arizona.
Kathleen is survived by her five children: Gary (Lynn) of Johns Creek, GA; Robert (Toni) of Las Vegas, NV, Thomas (Russ) of Colorado Springs, CO, Suzanne (Greg Klinkel) of Boulder, CO and Dianne (Tom Lookabaugh) of Denver, CO; eighteen grandchildren; twenty-one great grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews, including Rich and Dave Nelson of Miller and Patty Spicer of Sioux Falls.
She was preceded in death by her husband: Leonard Hemming Nelson, who passed away in 1998; her parents: Charles and Ida Corcoran; and sisters: Marion Wakeman and Bernice Cross.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memoriam be directed to the Miller Community Center in care of On-Hand Development.
Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Kay’s arrangements.
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Dianne and Family,
Dianne, I am so happy you were able to spend some time with your Mom in June. My prayers are with each of you during this difficult time.
My heartfelt thoughts & prayers go out to Kay’s family. Treasure all your memories, I know I will never forget all the times we got to spend with Kay going to concerts & plays. Kay was a jewel, who is now with “Our Lord.” God Bless. Shar
You know we always thought sooo much of your Mother. You have our sympathy in your loss. How hard it is when the final time comes. Love,
Your mother will be missed by many of us. We enjoyed seeing her at Kim and Dave’s on special occasions. It won’t be the same without her there. We will miss her. OUr prayers. Joan & Donnie
Diane, my thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Take care. Pat
I was so sorry to hear about your Mother. My sister told me the Saturday of her funeral.
I spent time with her over Memorial Day weekend while I was in Miller. We drove all around Miller and she showed me many things I had never seen and where everyone lived. We went out to the cemetery and on our way home stopped for a Dairy Queen cone. She was so good that day and I was so saddened to hear about her passing. I always stopped to see her when I was in Miller. She and your Dad were so good to my Dad after my Mother died. I always enjoyed being with your parents when I would go visit my Dad in Arizona. They were both very special to me. Since I don’t have any of your addresses thought this was the best way to get to all of you to express my sympathy.
Rosemary Murphy