Nellie Grafel Obituary

Nellie Joan Grafel was born in Decatur County, KS on July 25, 1934 to Frank and Thelma (Clawson) Spiers. She passed away in Oberlin, KS on July 7, 2025 at the age of 90. She attended school in District 47 in Kanona, KS, Decatur County High School and the McCook Beauty Academy. She married Kermit Nelson on Aug. 31, 1952 in Oberlin, KS and they had three children together: Steve, Nanette, and Todd. Joan and Kermit loved to follow car races, work at the shop, and they always supported their 3 kids, during the bad, good and indifferent! Later Joan would marry Don Grafel and they would love to watch his grandkids play sports and they loved to travel the USA together. Her family was the light of her life.
Joan is survived by two sons; Steve and Susan Nelson of Oberlin, KS and Todd Nelson of Denver, CO; daughter: Nanette and Kevin Philbrick of Laramie, WY; grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Ryan and Liz Philbrick, Leo Philbrick of St. Louis, MO, Brett and Brenna Philbrick, Reagan and Cole Philbrick, of Laramie, WY and Makenzie Nelson and Christy Apisa of Lakeland, FL; brother: Ben and Lee Spiers of Winterset, IA; five stepchildren, 18 step grandchildren and 16 step great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands: Kermit Nelson and Don Grafel; sister: Violet Shaw; nephews: Richard and Isaac Shaw.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 2:00PM at the Oberlin United Methodist Church, Oberlin, KS. Burial in Oberlin Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or American Heart Association.
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