Mr. Verdell Dean Nelson, age 93, of Casey, IA, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at his home in Casey under hospice care.
Some may say Verdell was an icon in Casey, but one thing is for sure: he was well known for his love of making sure his squirrels and birds were fed daily, gathering enough walnuts and hickory nuts in the fall for his winter project of selecting nuts, and having enough “trading stock” for many different things. In his later years, he was also known as a “bullshitter,” and he was pretty confident that God had not found room for a “bullshitter” like himself yet.
Verdell was born on a farm in Thompson Township on May 25, 1932, joining his sister Mary Ann. He attended a country school before graduating from Casey High School in 1951. In 1955, he married his high school sweetheart, Janet Lund. He would tell anyone he spoke with that she was the love of his life and his only love. She nearly broke his heart when his first proposal was turned down, and Janet went off to the Air Force. She later returned, prompted by her roommates, who told her she needed to come back and marry that man. They lived on the family farm, where they farmed until they later moved to their current home in Casey in 1961. They had two children, Terry and Lisa.
Verdell has had various jobs over the years, starting with Casey Mutual Telephone Company and driving school bus after high school, then moving to bridge construction, Walter’s Plumbing and Heating, Betts and Beers Construction, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and finally purchasing P & N Hardware Store. He retired or semi-retired in 1994. He enjoyed many fulfilling hobbies, such as golfing, fishing, gathering and picking out nuts just to give them away, making Janet’s famous finger bars, and spending time with family and friends. One of his favorite pastime hobbies was scratching off lottery tickets. It’s unclear how much money he spent on this hobby, but sometimes he was lucky; most of the time, it was just for entertainment.
He had always taken pride in his contributions to the community and had been a volunteer firefighter, as well as serving as a city council member for 25 years. Living in a small town, he had never known a stranger and had maintained his faith by being a long-time member of St. John Lutheran Church in Casey.
He told many how blessed his life had been and that he wouldn’t have changed a thing. Today, we share a smile with you, and we know that God did prepare a place for you after all.
Things that Verdell often said: “It’s okay.”, “It’s the fun we have.”, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”, and “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
He is survived by his son, Terry (Cathy) Nelson of Casey; daughter, Lisa (Bryan) Hansen of Guthrie Center, IA; four grandchildren, Ashley, Whitney, Tanner (Shaina), and Tori; two great-grandchildren, Axley and Wesley.
Verdell was preceded in death by his wife, Janet Nelson; parents, Aylor and Leota (Overmeyer) Nelson; and a sister, Mary Ann Plagman
Public visitation with the family will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Adair.
Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 17, 2025, at St. John Lutheran Church in Casey, IA, with Rev. Jeffrey Keuning officiating the service. Interment will take place following the funeral at Dalmanutha Cemetery, just north-west of Casey. A luncheon will be held following the committal at the Casey Community Building.
Memorials may be directed to the Verdell Nelson Family. They will be designated at a later date in memory of Verdell. They may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Adair.
