Martha Shain (Marty) Nelson

Martha Shain (Marty) Nelson

Washington

Martha Shain (Marty) Nelson, age 79, passed away on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Keota Health Care Center in Keota, Iowa.

The Jones & Eden Funeral Home is assisting the family. Online condolences may be sent for Marty’s the family at www.jonesfh.com.

Marty was born November 1, 1945, the daughter of Edwin E. and Hallie Peifer. Marty grew up in Itasca, Illinois, and Arlington Heights, Illinois. She graduated in 1963 from Arlington Heights High School where she was selected to the Harmonettes, the school’s top female singing group. Marty attended Iowa Wesleyan College and then received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from William Penn College. She later received her master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Iowa. Marty was an Elementary School teacher for 26 years in the Fairfield Community School System. She was an excellent teacher who placed great emphasis on reading and writing.

On July 31, 1965, Marty married Denny Nelson in Arlington Heights. They had two children, Andy and Marc. Marty was very active in the First United Methodist Church of Fairfield, Iowa. She was also an active member and leader in TTT Society, P.E.O., Jefferson/Van Buren Reading Association, and her special Fairfield Washington Elementary School teacher group of Jane Rowe, Sandy Gillaspie, and Laurie Woody.

Marty and Denny both retired in 2004 and spent 16 active retirement years in the senior resort community of Las Palmas in Mesa, Arizona. Together they enjoyed traveling, community parties, hiking, Diamondback baseball games, riding the Light Rail, many fine restaurants, and especially volunteering to lead the fruit-picking program in their community.

Marty had a beautiful singing voice. She loved singing in church choirs and over the years performed many solos in church, at weddings, and special events. Marty was a very caring and kind person. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she enrolled herself and Denny in a group of Iowans to go down to Mississippi to help with home repairs. She then organized a group from the Fairfield United Methodist Church to go down again to help with the restoration.

Marty is survived by her husband, Denny, and her two sons, Andy (Dani) Nelson of Richland, Iowa, and Marc (Lisa) Nelson of Phoenix, Arizona. She is also survived by her five grandchildren: Mason Nelson, Sydney Nelson, Zoey Nelson, Lexa Nelson, and Rylie Nelson; and three sisters-in-law: Ann Copeland, Carole Rhoads, and Karen Short.

Marty was preceded in death by her parents, and her brothers, Eddie Peifer and Hal Peifer.

Marty has donated her body to the University of Iowa for medical research.

The family would like to express much gratitude to the Keota Health Care Center for the excellent and loving care they gave Marty during her journey with Alzheimer’s disease, and for the additional special care given to Mary by Compassus Hospice of Washington, Iowa.