Ione M. Nelson, 92, of Cherokee passed away at Unity Point Downtown Siouxland Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.
Memorial services will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 2 p.m. at Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Visitation with the family present will take place an hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery at Cherokee. Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com.
Ione was born on Feb. 12, 1933, to Paul and Ida (Muckler) Rabe at Loomis, S.D. She graduated from Paullina High School in 1951 and attended Sioux City Business College. She was united in marriage to Clifford "Kip" Nelson on Nov. 6, 1954, at the Little Brown Church at Nashua.
She worked for Klinger Construction Conservation Office in Sioux City, Lundell Manufacturing, Clifford Chapman Insurance, various secretarial jobs in Denver, Colo., owned Ione’s Craft and Hobby Shop in southeast Denver for 10 years, and then Pete Roosevelt Oil and Gas in Denver for 12 years. She retired in 2012. They returned to Cherokee in 2014.
She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Cherokee. She was also a member of the Sit and Stitch group at Cherokee Public Library.
In her free time she enjoyed crafting, crocheting and socializing with their friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Arnold Rabe, Waldene Lundell, Paul Rabe and Clarence Rabe.
Ione will lovingly be remembered by her husband Kip Nelson of Cherokee; nieces and nephews: Lyle Rabe, Mike (Fritz) Rabe, Alan Rabe, Verdene Paulsen, Janet Florine, Steve (Denise) Lundell, Dennis (Lisa) Coobs and Judy (Leo) Ochrymowycz; also many other nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; also many more friends.
