James Lynn Nielsen

1945 - 2015

February 27, 1945 - February 23, 2015
Funeral services for James L. Nielsen, 69, were conducted by Pastor Sam Jacobs on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at 11 a.m. at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton. Interment was in the Hamlin Lutheran Cemetery east of Hamlin. The honorary casket bearers were his brothers Don Nielsen, Bill Nielsen, Rich Nielsen, Larry Nielsen, Dennis Nielsen, Terry Nielsen, and Dale Nielsen and friends Dick Soll, Steve Heuton, Roland Hansen, Darwin Swanson, and Dr. Gary Jorgensen. The casket bearers were grandchildren Melanie Nielsen, Tye Nielsen, McKenna Nielsen, Grant Nielsen, Conrae Bertini, Amaris Bertini, and Cole Bails. The Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon was in charge of the arrangements.
James Lynn Nielsen, the son of Wilmer and Elvena (Kuntzweiler) Nielsen, was born Feb. 27, 1945, at the Winther Nursing home in Audubon, and died Feb. 23, 2015, at his home in Kimballton, at the age of 69 years, 11 months, and 26 days.
Jim was baptized at the First Christian Church in Audubon. He attended several rural schools in and around Viola, then went through Junior High and High School in the Audubon Community Schools graduating with the High School Class of 1963. Jim studied accounting at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo., Northeast Missouri State University, and later Drake University in Des Moines.
On June 1, 1968 he was united in marriage to Enid Boose at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church in Elk Horn. Three children, Jeff, Marci, and Erika, were born to this union. They lived in Audubon for a short time then moved to Kirksville, Mo., where Jim finished his studies. They moved to Des Moines, and Jim was employed at Delavan Western Tool as a Cost Adjuster. In 1979 they moved to Elk Horn where Jim owned and operated his own carpentry business for many years.
On Nov. 4, 1995 he married Dianne (Rattenborg) Bails at Bethany Lutheran Church northeast of Kimballton. Jim continued his carpentry business. In 1998 Jim had heart surgery which resulted in a stroke. He recovered to the point that he could return to work on a limited basis until he fully retired.
Jim was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church near Kimballton. He helped with Sunday school and helped to keep the Church in good repair. He was an EMT on the Elk Horn Fire Department for many years. Jim was on the Elk Horn City Council and served two terms as Mayor. He was very community minded and participated in many area projects over the years. Jim liked to tease his family and friends. He enjoyed woodworking, making many projects for family and friends including making cradles for his grandchildren. He enjoyed being with his family and taught the grandchildren how to fish. He liked watching John Wayne movies. Jim was an avid collector of anything that had to do with the 1957 Chevy: cars, models, and Hot Wheels and also collected M&M dispensers. He enjoyed traveling around the United States and abroad visiting Denmark twice and also Costa Rica. Jim was well known for the delicious peanut brittle he made as Christmas approached and his family and friends looked forward to receiving this special treat during the Holiday Season.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers and sister, Don Nielsen, Larry Nielsen, Rich Nielsen, and Diana Cowman; and Dianne's parents Herbert and Sylvia Rattenborg.
Survivors include his wife Dianne Nielsen of Kimballton; his children Jeff and wife Sara Nielsen of Grinnell, , Marci Bertini and Dave Helland of Urbandale, and Erika Nielsen of Des Moines; his grandchildren Melanie Nielsen of Waterloo, Tye Nielsen of Ames, McKenna and Grant Nielsen, Jordan, Ethan, and Luke Walker all of Grinnell, Conrae and Amaris Bertini both of Urbandale; Dianne's sons Chris and wife Jen Bails of Irwin and Steve Bails and Julie Taylor of Omaha, Neb.; Dianne's grandchildren Cole Bails and Abby Taylor both of Omaha, Neb. His brothers and sister Bill and wife Claudine Nielsen of Apache Junction, Ariz., Dennis Nielsen of Carroll, Sherry and husband Wendell Amendt of Spencer, Terry and wife Marilyn Nielsen of Urbandale, and Dale and wife Pam Nielsen of Pleasant Hill; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Jesse Nielsen of Norfolk, Neb., Barb Nielsen of Audubon, Don Cowman of Daytona, Fla., Marcia and husband Galen Huey of Audubon, Kristin and husband John Yeske of Granville; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.