Lewis L. “Louie” Nelson, 93, of Bishop Hill, IL, passed away on Friday, May 21, 2021 at Genesis East Medical Center, Davenport, IA. Cremation has been accorded and a celebration of his life is due to be held at a later date. Rux Funeral Home of Galva, IL is assisting the family with arrangements.
Louie was born on December 12, 1927 to Lawrence and Vernice (Lindstrom) Nelson. He was raised on his family’s farm just north of Bishop Hill. In school, he excelled in basketball, football and track. Louie graduated from Galva High School in 1946. After high school, he played and pitched for the Bishop Hill Swedes fastpitch team.
On August 7, 1949, Louie married the love of his life, Marion Anderson, in Bishop Hill. Together, they raised five daughters; Cathy, Chris, Connie, Cari and Cheri. The love and devotion Louie and Marion had for one another was unwavering and something to aspire to. They truly built a life they loved and were blessed to have had 71 wonderful years of marriage.
Louie worked for Earl King before starting his own contracting business, Nelson Construction. In his early years, he restored a large portion of the Colony Building in Bishop Hill. He also built the Bishop Hill Fire Station. He was a skilled carpenter who enjoyed the trade and was in business for over 50 years before retiring.
Louie belonged to the Bishop Hill Community Methodist Church, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association and the Old Settlers Association. He volunteered and served as president of the Bishop Hill Fire Department for many years. He was part of the SVEA Mutual Insurance Board for 27 years.
Louie brought light and laughter to everyone he knew. You knew he loved you if he was teasing you, as he had such a sense of humor. Louie was an avid Cubs fan; he never missed an opportunity to watch a game. If you stopped by, chances are you would find him in his chair watching his Cubs and if he was visiting you, he’d want to be sure you had the channel they’d be playing on. He also enjoyed watching fastpitch tournaments. For many years, Louie and Marion belonged to a card club where they made lifelong friends and lasting memories. But, perhaps Louie’s greatest joy in life, was just spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was so entertained by them; they could always make him laugh and put a smile on his face.
Louie is survived by his wife, Marion; five daughters, Cathy Nelson (Deborah Redmond) of Washington D.C., Chris Nelson (Tom Davis) of Neponset, IL, Connie Adkison of Cambridge, IL, Cari Nelson of Swansea, IL and Cheri (Brent) Vincent of Cambridge, IL; six grandchildren, Natasha (Jason) Riley of O’Fallon, IL, Adrienne Adkison of St. Louis, MO, Taylor Iorio of St. Petersburg, FL, Kayla (Ian) Wiles of Cambridge, IL, Austen (Lauren) Vincent of Cambridge, IL ,and Garrett Vincent of Cambridge, IL; seven great-grandchildren, Kellyn, Norah, Rian, Violet, Lincoln, Cecilia and Rhett.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Jim & Jerry, a sister, Lois, and his parents.
Memorials may be made to the Bishop Hill Community Methodist Church or the Old Settlers Association of Bishop Hill.
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