Jack Nelsen

Jerome: Jack Harold Nelsen, 91, of Jerome died, March 16, 2020 in Jerome. He was born in Medford, Oregon to Fred and Lena Nelsen. He attended the Pleasant Plains School north of Jerome from the 1st grade through 8th and graduated from the Jerome High School in 1949. While in high school he was a member of the band and a member of the boxing team. Upon graduation from high school he attended the University of Idaho in Moscow.

Before the era of tractors farming was done by horses, at the age of 7 Jack drove 2 head of horses to “scratch” beans and by the age of 12 he drove 4 head of horses to cultivate potatoes with a one row cultivator.

In order to buy a saddle Jack shoveled ditch for $1.00 a day. He often rode in the sagebrush country north of Jerome. He had a lot of fun killing rattlesnakes.

In 1953 Jack Married Joan Sonnichsen in Jerome and they celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in September 2019.

In 1954 Jack enlisted in the Army attending his basic training at Fort Ord, California, he was then sent to Germany for the remainder of his enlistment. Following his discharge from the Army he resumed farming north of Jerome with his father and later with his sons, Jack and Jon.

Because of his love of horses, Jack formed the Jerome Junior Posse of which his two daughters, Janice and Julie were members.

The whole Nelsen family enjoyed skiing at Soldier Mountain where Jack and Joan were ski instructors for 15 years. Jack was a member of the A.F. & A.M. Order of the Masons for 70 years, he served as a Guardian for the Job’s Daughters, past President of the Jerome Rotary, he was a former member of the Jerome County Fair Board, board member of the Jerome Co-op Challenge Creamery and a board member of the Selective Service System.

He is survived by his wife Joan, sons Jack Sonnich (Emily) Nelsen, Jonathan Fred (Debbie) Nelsen, Daughter Janice (Ken) Lehman, a sister Norma (Mike) Stone, a brother Dr. Theron (Darlene) Nelsen; grandchildren Logan, Cade (Katie), Annalese Greg, Chris, Matthew (Viela) Nelsen, Joanie and John Lehman; great grandchildren Jace, Kayson, Klaire, Beck, Emilia and numerous nieces and nephews

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, an infant son, his 10 year old daughter Julia Ann (leukemia) and his sister, Bette Lee Clark.

The Nelsen family wishes to extend a Special Thank You to Dr. Nicole Ruske, Travis and the staff of St. Luke’s Hospice as well as the staff at Ashley Manor Memory Care of Jerome for their care of Jack.

No services are planned at this time.

Cremation arrangements are under the care and direction of Jason Robertson at Joel Heward’s Hansen Mortuary, Rupert, Idaho.

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