Know your neighbor: Jay Nelson

This neighbor was born in Pontiac, Illinois, but was raised in East Moline, Illinois. His parents were Walt and Bev Nelson, and they named their son Jay. He has two younger sisters, Leann and Lisa who live in the Quad Cities.

Jay attended elementary school at St. Anne’s, high school at Rock Island Alleman, and college in Mt. Pleasant at Iowa Wesleyan. While in college, he met his future wife, Denise. They were married in Mt. Pleasant in 1981 and have celebrated 43 years of marriage. Their three sons are Matt (Amber) who lives in Winfield, Sea (Dani) and family who live in Marion, Iowa, and Ryan who lives in Minneapolis. The Nelsons are grandparents of five: Jacob, Shaye, Micah, Corrine and Finley.

East Moline, Moline, Davenport, and Mt. Pleasant are places Jay lived before settling in Winfield. Jay and his family moved to Winfield in November of 1988.

“We chose Winfield because we liked the community and the school system,” explained Jay, adding, “the residents support the community and each other. We’ve made lifelong friends, and it’s nice to have a golf course and a pool.”

Jay also mentioned a couple of con: “We are somewhat landlocked, making expansion a challenge. There are still several properties that need to be cleaned up.”

Jay has been an active member of the community. He has served on the Sunrise Terrace and Twins Lakes boards of directors, been a member of the Presbyterian Church session and was appointed by Governor Reynolds to serve on the Board of Corrections.

Following his graduation from Iowa Wesleyan, Jay worked for three years at Prudential Insurance in Moline.

“Then I worked just shy of 37 years for the Iowa Department of Corrections,“ Jay said.

He retired in 2021 as Warden at the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility.

“Managing COVID in the facility was a challenge,” answered Jay when asked some of the challenges he faced as Warden, adding, “Thankfully the staff at Mt. Pleasant were up to the challenge and because of them we were able to make it through. The murders of the two staff at Anamosa in March of 2021 were the most tragic and challenging for the entire department.”

When asked to describe his role as a warden and the part it plays in the Department of Corrections, Jay explained, “Unlike what is often portrayed on television and in movies, correctional staff are not corrupt, intent on punishing incarcerated individuals. The fact is that in addition to keeping incarcerated individuals secured from the public in accordance with the sentence the individual received from a judge, the DOC focuses on creating opportunities for these individuals to make positive changes that will make the m better citizens and as a result make their communities safer. Over ninety percent of these individuals be returning to the community, the DOC strives to prepare them to be successful.”

When asked who he admires the most Jay replied, “My Dad. He modeled what a good Dad is.”

Since retiring, Jay enjoys “reading and pretending that I can play golf .”(his words!)

“Mostly though, I enjoy going to grandkids’ events,” he said.

Recently, Jay can also be found at the Winfield Library checking out books and helping librarian Jaque Lake a few hours each week with other tasks.

Jay’s pet peeve is, “People who ask a question and then want to argue about the answer.”

Two items on Jay’s bucket list are white water rafting and a trip to Ireland. A recent “event” was putting an addition on to their house.

Jay has this advice for youth, “Don’t be afraid to fail. I’ve learned more from times where things didn’t go well. The only real failure is not getting back up after you get knocked down.”

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