Kurt Nelson

Memorial services for Kurt Nelson will be held on Friday, March 11, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. with a visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Starbuck Community Center in Starbuck. Reverend Gregg Donnelly will be officiating.

Kurt Owen Nelson was born on September 19, 1957, to James and Gail (Gruse) Nelson in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. When he was young, his family relocated to Morris, Minnesota, where he would graduate from high school in 1976. Upon graduation, Kurt attended technical college in Willmar for auto body repair. He then opened his own shop in Morris for a short time thereafter.

Kurt eventually decided to follow in his Dad’s footsteps to become a conservation officer. He attended school for law enforcement at Alexandria Technical College. He started his career working with the City of Glenwood and would eventually go on to become a deputy of Pope County, where everyone would learn to know him as being a “hard ass with a big heart.”

On June 2, 1979, Kurt married Cynthia “Cindy” Kleespies at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris. To this union two sons and one daughter were born. Kurt loved spending time with his family and was a great dad. He enjoyed spending time under the hood of vehicles with Chris, fishing and hunting with Derek, and playing practical jokes with Marina.

Throughout his life, Kurt was an avid outdoorsman. He loved being on the lake with his family and dog, watching wildlife in the peace and quiet, shed hunting, and kayak fishing. Kurt also enjoyed sharing his love of the outdoors with disabled veterans, escorting them with deer hunting and cooking for the fishermen. In any way he was able, he always looked for little ways to help those in need, many times donating his time and talents to local organizations.

Kurt retired as a Pope County Conservation Officer in 2012 at the age of 55. In his spare time, Kurt liked to perfect his status as self-proclaimed pit master, cooking, smoking, and barbequing for friends and family. He also liked painting pictures of waterfowl and playing music in the basement when he thought no one was listening.

Many will miss Kurt’s soft heart that he always tried to keep covered, especially his family.

Kurt passed away on February 28, 2022, at Sanford Health in Fargo North Dakota. He was 64 years old.

Kurt is survived by his wife Cindy Nelson of Glenwood, MN; children: Chris Nelson and Derek Nelson of Glenwood, MN, Marina Nelson of Clearwater, FL; his mother, Gail Nelson of Sauk Centre, MN; sisters: Brenda (Marty) Sarlette of Melrose, MN, Patti (Bruce Riedner) Nelson of Morris, MN; brother-in-law Steven (Julie) Kleespies of Kelliher, MN; sister-in-law Robyn (Joe) McNally of Morris, MN; his father and mother-in-law Lawrence and Shirley Kleespies of Morris, MN; along with several beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father James Nelson; stepfather Jim Peterson; grandparents J. V. & Mae Nelson and Lawrence and Dorothy Gruse.

In Lieu of flowers donations can be made to Trolling for the Troops, Disabled Veteran Deer Hunt at Camp Ripley in MN and the Pope County Humane Society. Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck is in care of arrangements for Kurt.