Janet J. (Melby) Nelson

Janet J. (Melby) Nelson, 72, of Onawa, Iowa, formerly of Castana, Iowa, died Friday, September 29, 2017, at Unity Point Health – St. Luke's Hospital in Sioux City, following a battle with dementia. Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M. Thursday, October 5, 2017, at the First Christian Church in Onawa, with Pastor Michael Lewis officiating. Burial will follow in Center Cemetery, rural Castana. Visitation will be 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, October 4, 2017, at the Rush Family Chapel in Onawa, with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. Arrangements are under the direction of Rush Family Care Service in Onawa. Janet was an amazing woman, wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, who was born on January 11, 1945, near Soldier, Iowa, to Cleo and Marjorie "Marge" (Karr) Melby. She attended school in Castana until her senior year, and then graduated from West Monona High School in Onawa with the class of 1963. She married Dennis L. Nelson on December 20, 1975, in Onawa. To this union one child, Kami, was born. She had three children, Ronnie, Rebecca, and Kenneth, from a previous marriage. Janet loved baking and sweets, and she owned Nelson's Bakery in Onawa for nine years. She then worked at The Hoffman Agency in Onawa until she retired in 2010. She also was a valued employee at the Iowa State Bank for several years. She enjoyed bowling, fishing, dancing, planting flowers, the holidays, and shopping for gifts. Her children and grandchildren meant the world to her, and her walls were covered with their pictures. If you ever stood next to her in line at the grocery store, she probably told you all about them! In the last few years, she had to say hi to and play with any child that she saw, as she would swear she knew them, even when she was far from home and there was no way that she did. She liked to go for walks, avidly hated liver and onions, and loved Mountain Dew. Her smile was infectious as long as no red buckets were involved. She was feisty and loved to joke around. She would stick her tongue out at you or tickle you to be "ornery," as she called it. She pulled mini-rods and even beat out Dennis a few times. She also enjoyed going for rides with Dennis on the Trike. She will be sorely missed and survived by her husband, Dennis Nelson of Onawa, IA; two daughters, Rebecca "Becky" (Davis) and husband Steve Purcell of Urbandale, IA and Kami Nelson of Denver, CO; one stepson, Denny Nelson of Sioux City, IA; one sister, Janice and husband Terry Payne of Woolridge, MO; two brothers and their wives, Eugene and Shirley Melby and Russell and Cindy Melby, all of Castana, IA; six grandchildren, Amber and Alec Nelson, Brandon and Shawn Davis, and Garrett and Grant Purcell; and two great-grandchildren, Kalen and Bristol. She has happily been reunited with and preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, John and Sadie (Nelson) Melby; her maternal grandparents, Otha and Mary (Welsh) Karr; her parents, Cleo and Marge (Karr) Melby; two sons, Ronnie and Kenneth "Ken" Davis; and one brother, Roger Melby. All who loved her dearly will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, and undying love and caring. Condolences may be left online for the family at www.rushfamilycareservice.com