Mr. Cleo Cloyd Nesler, 99

STEDMAN

Mr. Cleo Cloyd Nesler, 99 of Stedman, passed away Saturday, April 18, 2015 at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville.

The family will receive friends from 12:30 to 1:30 P.M. Wednesday afternoon at Butler Funeral Home in Stedman. A graveside service will follow at 2:00 P.M. at T.J. Hall Cemetery, South River Road, Autryville, with Pastor Robert Guynn officiating.

He was born October 24, 1915 in Glidden, Iowa, and was the son of the late Ralph E. and Della E. Byerly Nesler. He is preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Edith.

Cleo attended the Richland Center country school near his home and graduated from Glidden High School in 1934. Due to his interest in aviation, he was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association of Wisconsin, The Wichita Jayhawk 88 Chapter and the Garden City Chapter. For many years he had a valid private pilot's license.

He attended the Friends Church throughout his life and knew a born again experience was necessary for Christian living and a passport to Heaven. Reading was a favorite pass time and he enjoyed Christian literature as well as technical and aviation material.

On August 22, 1950 he was united in marriage to Mary Maxine Taylor at the Little Brown Church at Nashua, Iowa, who survives him. Their lives were blessed with a daughter, Rebecca Ruth Dent and her husband Samuel; three grandsons, Corbett, Andrew, and William Jeffrey Mercer; and three great grandchildren. He is also survived by one sister, Grace Hastings.

Cleo farmed the family farm until moving to Haviland, Kansas, in 1967. He was employed by Ned Harmon, Haviland Farmers Coop, Kiowa County Road Department and Friends Bible College (now Barclay), where he often helped area farmers at harvest time. The summer of 1994, at the age of 78, he worked for the Sporrer's Construction Co., of Dodge City, in the widening and resurfacing of Highway 54 near Mullinville, Bucklin and Kingsdown, Kansas. He always gave freely of his time helping neighbors and friends who needed help. It was often said by farmer friends in Iowa, "If an engine or motor will run at all, Cleo can start it".

Arrangements entrusted to Butler Funeral Home, 6535 Clinton Road, Stedman.