Dennis Emil Nelson, 69, of Eau Claire, passed away on Wednesday, October 05, 2011, at Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire, WI, while surrounded by family. He was born on April 29, 1942, to Emil and Mary (Fouquette) Nelson. He graduated from UW-River Falls in 1966, with a Bachelors of Science in Business and served in the Army National Guard. Dennis worked for International Harvester in dealer development prior to opening his own dealership, Nelson International, in Janesville, WI. Later, Dennis co-owned Nelson Sport Center, a marine dealership in Chippewa Falls, WI, with his brother, Quentin Nelson. Dennis married Mary Southern on November 24, 1973, in Green Bay, WI. They had four children: Sonja, Erik, Ingrid and Thea. Dennis enjoyed hunting, fishing, traveling, and best of all, spending time with his family. Dennis is survived by his wife, Mary; four children, Sonja (Stephen) Matthews of North Potomac, MD, Erik Nelson of Eau Claire, Ingrid (Kevin) Plumb of Phoenix, AZ, and Thea Nelson of Orlando, FL; five granddaughters, Siena, Elise and Kaija Matthews, Annika and Fiona Plumb; siblings, Valeria (Norm) Pakes, Joan (Dave) Fish, Quentin (Diane) Nelson, and Gwen Nelson; and sister-in-law, Barbara Nelson. He was preceded in death by his brother, Roland Nelson; and his parents, Emil and Mary Nelson. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 10, 2011 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 322 Fulton St. in Eau Claire with Father William A. Dhein officiating. Burial will be at Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire with military graveside honors conducted by American Legion Post #53. Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 9, 2011, from Noon until 3 p.m. at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home, 814 First Ave., Eau Claire, and one hour prior to the Mass at the church on Monday. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to: http://www.pcf.org/DennisNelson

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