Ralph Nesler, Sr.

The funeral service for Ralph I. Nesler, Sr., 84, Lawrence, Kansas, will be held at 3p.m. Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lawrence. Military honors will follow the service.  He died on Friday, June 11, 2010 at Brandon Woods at Alvamar. 

He was born on July 5, 1925 in Virginia, Minnesota, the son of Rudolph C. and Hazel A. Larson Nesler. He was a resident of Lawrence since 1990. 

Mr. Nesler served his country in the United States Army during WWII, Korea and Vietnam.  He retired as a Sergeant Major in 1973.  He was a member of the Alford-Clarke Post #852 of the VFW and Dorsey-Liberty Post #14 of the American Legion, Lawrence.

He taught JROTC at Central High School in St. Joseph, Missouri for several years.   

He married Lorraine A. Schacht on November 8, 1947 in Rochester, Minnesota.  She survives of the home.

Other survivors include one son, Ralph I. Nesler, Jr., and wife Linda, Buckner, Missouri; two daughters, Linda L. Eckard and husband, Stephen, St. Joseph, Missouri, Janice Nesler-Loux, and husband, Donald Loux, Lawrence, Kansas; eight grandchildren, Linda Christian, Steven  Nesler, Erin Maddox, Dane Eckard, Alex Eckard, Ronald Ellis, III, Eric Loux, and Brian Loux,; four great granddaughters; one great-great grandson, and one sister, Marjorie A. Oeltjen, Rochester, Minnesota.  He was preceded in death by three brothers, Norman C., Rollie E., Robert H., and one sister, Mayme Bishop. 

The family will greet friends from 2-3 p.m. Tuesday at the church. 

Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association, Rehabilitation and Hospice Care, or the American Cancer Society and may be sent in care of the Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence, Kansas.
 

31 Condolences

  1. Susan B. Eckard on June 12, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Thinking of you with compassion



  2. Stan Ruhnke on June 12, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Thinking of you with compassion.



  3. Emily Rose Maddox on June 12, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Thinking of you with love Great Grandpa Nesler.



  4. Emily Rose Maddox on June 12, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Thinking of you with love Great Grandpa Nesler.



  5. Erin Lynn Maddox on June 12, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Grandpa, you will always be in my heart, love you forever.



  6. Erin Lynn Maddox on June 12, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Grandpa, you will always be in my heart, love you forever.



  7. Samantha Ellis on June 12, 2010 at 12:00 am

    You accepted me as family even before I was. Your smile and mischievous eyes always made me feel at home. I will miss you always and love you dearly.



  8. Chris Bohanan on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Thoughts and prayers and with the family at this time of loss.



  9. Diane (nesler) Miller on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Sympathy and prayers to all Uncle Ralph’s family. I have very fond memories of growing up and having your family visit us up here..and of course visits as an adult too! I know he will be missed by everyone. Diane



  10. Gilbert Ohlson on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Jan, my prayers are with you and your family in this time of loss.



  11. Deanna & Chett Posey on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Red and Linda:
    We are so sorry to hear of the passing of your Dad, Red. Please know that you and your entire family are in our thoughts and prayers at this time.

    Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

    God bless you and your family!



  12. James Beesley on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    SGM Nesler was a great American, and one of the heroes of my youth. Tough, but fair, he helped mentor me through what can best be described as a “troubled youth”. His example of selfless service and devotion to country shines as a beacon for all to emulate. The world is a lesser place for his passing, but a much better place for his having been in it.

    James D. Beesley
    Colonel, AUS



  13. James Beesley on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    SGM Nesler was a great American, and one of the heroes of my youth. Tough, but fair, he helped mentor me through what can best be described as a “troubled youth”. His example of selfless service and devotion to country shines as a beacon for all to emulate. The world is a lesser place for his passing, but a much better place for his having been in it.

    James D. Beesley
    Colonel, AUS



  14. Kimberly (Pethtel) Krutz on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Jan – Best Wishes to you and your family.



  15. John Brissett on June 13, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Thoughts and prayers for his family and friends. Sgt. Maj Nesler was a fair and good man. I have many found memories from CHS ROTC Honor Guard.



  16. Tisha Chapman-Garrett on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    I would like to offer my condolences and prayers to your family at this time. He was a great man and JROTC instructor.



  17. Kathy McAfee on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time.



  18. Linda Shepherd - Taylor on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    SGT Major was a wonderful teacher & a great man. He was by far my favorite & most influential teacher at Central High school. My prayers are with his family & everyone who had the priviledge of knowing him. It is a sad time for the world because of his passing – & rejoiceful because of his presence in it. I will miss him.



  19. Clayton Coe on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    My deepest sympathy to Red and his family.



  20. Clayton Coe on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    My deepest sympathy to Red and his family.



  21. William Lytton on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    He was a great influence as well as a great instructor. My condolences to you and your family.



  22. Debbie Dilks on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    My sympathy and prayer go out to Red and his family.



  23. Debbie Dilks on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    My sympathy and prayer go out to Red and his family.



  24. Sue Stevens on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    My thoughts and prayers are with Red and his family.



  25. Ed and Ann Bayliss on June 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Dear Linda,
    Our prayers for you and all
    your family at this time of
    great loss will be in the forefront of our minds and hearts this tuesday. We know your dad will be missed.



  26. Art and Debbie Feist on June 15, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Lorraine and family,our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Thank you for being such wonderful neighbors to mom and dad,(Dorothy and Leo Feist)Ralph wil be sadly missed.



  27. John Schroeder on June 15, 2010 at 12:00 am

    I knew SMG Nessler as a ROTC instructor while he was at Central High School in St. Joseph. I knew him to a kind and caring teacher. I enjoyed his friendship. He made a deep impression on me, as he did with many of the students. Of course, it did help that we were both Vietnam vets. My best to his family.



  28. Bennie Hamilton on June 15, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Like so many others I met and got to know Sgt. Maj. Nesler as a student in the J.R.O.T.C. program at Central. He was a wonderful person, mentor, and friend. He always has time to talk to us on a personal level when we needed him. He was a brave and true american and will never be forgotten.



  29. Bennie Hamilton on June 15, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Like so many others I met and got to know Sgt. Maj. Nesler as a student in the J.R.O.T.C. program at Central. He was a wonderful person, mentor, and friend. He always has time to talk to us on a personal level when we needed him. He was a brave and true american and will never be forgotten.



  30. Michelle & Harry Williamson on June 15, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Our Deepest Sympathy and Prayers to Red, Linda and all of the family.



  31. Samuel on April 14, 2012 at 12:53 am

    sorry im going to answer this one too, aothlugh I am going to begin sounding redundant, and possibly a bit creepy because i am answering all your questions, but these are the best questions in this category and I can relate to them very well. first of all, for some reason i have never thought of letting the girl completely choose the activity, that is a good idea. i also don’t ask too many girls out but the next time i do, i know my plan of action. hopefully she would would be thinking like you, because i’m not sure if I could handle the status quo first date. anything but dinner is good. even like you mentioned, a walk would be perfect you could be spontaneous, just take a walk and stop for ice cream or something on the way. but sometimes i hear that girls don’t like it when a guy who asks them out doesn’t have an idea of what to do on the date and it feels more difficult to ask a girl to go for a walk, hike, something active and outside as opposed to dinner. because there was this girl that i asked out a few weeks back, and i didn’t want to go to dinner but i felt more nervous asking her to do something better. it seemed as if i was going to have to elaborate too much and all i wanted to do was ask and get it over with.you know what i mean?



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