116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Nelson, Raymond D.
Raymond D. Nelson, 78, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, Hiawatha. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Entombment with military honors will be held in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.
Raymond D. Nelson was born Aug. 17, 1932, and has gone to be with the love of his life. Ray was born and raised in Madison, S.D. He graduated from Madison High School in 1950. He married the love of his life, Patricia Satterlee, in 1952 and they had 55 wonderful years together. Pat passed away in 2007. Pat and Ray were blessed with two wonderful children, Mike in 1954 and Michele in 1959. Mike passed away in 2001.
Ray is survived by his daughter, Michele (Jose) Lara of Sand Springs, Okla.; mother, Florence Nelson, sister, Sharon Donegan, and brother, Dennis Nelson, all of Massachusetts; daughter-in law, Shannon Nelson of Longmont, Colo.; grandchildren, Ashley, Samuel, Michael and Cody Swatosh of Tulsa, Okla.; four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, John, and sisters, Marlys and Dorothy.
Ray served in the United States Air Force from 1952 until late 1963. He joined Collins Radio in 1963 and retired in 1999. Ray was a member of the American Legion Post #298 in Marion. Ray was blessed with an unbelievable amount of great friends. He would wish them all good health, long life and pleasant memories. Ray loved to play golf, play poker with Legion friends, watch NFL games, college football and basketball. He also loved to have coffee with friends at The New Me salon and Donutland. Last but not forgotten he would like to thank several very special couples who have watched over him, entertained him and asked for nothing but understanding, Peggy Wieneke and Paul Schliemann, Bob and Jeannie Brown, and Bob and Robin Elliot.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed in Ray's name to Camp Courageous or the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, Hiawatha.
Online condolences may be left at under obituaries.
Daily Newsletters