Pamela Jo Nelson

Pamela Jo Nelson, 74, passed away Thursday, September 17, 2026, at her home in Denton, Texas. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel in West Des Moines followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m. Burial will be at Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines.

For 45 years, nursing was more than Pam’s profession, it was part of who she was. She spent her career at Mercy eventually becoming a Director of Nursing for care centers in Decorah, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines ending her career at Mercy Bariatric Weight Loss Center.

Music was another defining part of Pam’s life. A gifted musician, she received a full scholarship to Simpson College for saxophone and also played piano, organ, guitar, xylophone and more. Music ran through her family. Her father, Wayne, played banjo; her mother, Lorna, played bass guitar; and her husband, Steve, played guitar. Some of the family’s happiest memories were made singing and playing together and Pam often shared her talent by playing the organ at church.

Pam met Steve Nelson shortly after graduating from high school, while she was attending Mercy College of Nursing. They married on May 26, 1973, and built a life centered around their four daughters: Jennifer, Andrea, Kathryn, and Greta.

Pam and Steve shared 34 years of marriage. Steve passed away on May 23, 2007, just shy of their 34th wedding anniversary. The loss of Steve changed Pam’s life, but the love for him remained a lasting part of her story.

Pam encouraged her daughters to pursue education and instilled in them strong work ethics. She supported their athletic pursuits as enthusiastically as their careers. She was immensely proud of the lives and careers her daughters built.

Pam was equally proud to watch Jen and Greta become mothers. Her six grandchildren brought her tremendous joy.

Pam loved sports, especially baseball. A devoted Atlanta Braves fan, she traveled around the country to see them play and hoped in retirement to visit every Major League Baseball ballpark in the U.S.

Pam is survived by her siblings, Michele Wray Bradke (Craig), Patti Wray Marnin (Jeff) Michael Wray (Lisa); her daughters, Jennifer Manternach (Adam), Andrea Nelson (Danny), Kathryn Nelson (Alix), and Greta Kissel (Kevin); and her grandchildren, Avery, Berlin, Jacob, Chase, Arya, and Anya and countless cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne and Lorna Wray and her beloved husband, Steve Nelson.

Pam’s legacy lives in the daughters who knew how deeply she believed in them, the grandchildren who brought her joy, the patients she cared for, the music her family made together, and the stories they will continue to tell.