Posted 01/28/06

EAST HELENA - Marvin “Ivan” Nell, the son of George and Theresa (Heinrich) Nell, was born May 22, 1927, on a farm in McPherson County, S.D. He was the eighth of nine children. He attended grade school in a rural country school near Forbes, N.D. He spent the following years working for area farmers, where his love of horses was formed when he broke and trained draft horses for work in the fields.

He entered the Army Air Corps in 1946 and was honorably discharged the same year. After the service, Marvin was a jack-of-all-trades. He farmed with his brother, Ted, worked in the oil fields and worked in road construction.

On Dec. 29, 1955, he married Violet Haase at Zion Lutheran Church in Ellendale, N.D. Marvin and Violet were blessed to have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past December. They moved to Montana in 1956, where Marvin continued to work for McLaughlin Construction. The family moved to East Helena in 1964, as he worked both as an operator and supervisor for Maronick Construction Company until his retirement in 1990. He belonged to the Operating Engineers Local 400 since 1953 and was granted the privilege of a lifetime membership for 50 years of outstanding duty and service to this local union and its members.

He was an active member of First Lutheran Church in Helena since 1963. Marvin also spent many years as a member of the East Helena Valley Rodeo Association. He will always be remembered for the many things he loved: rodeos, buying and selling antiques, attending auctions, and keeping up to date on farm and ranch news. But he was always happiest when attending activities involving his four grandchildren. His other love was socializing, whether at a rodeo, auction sale, construction site, church or at dialysis.

Marvin died on Jan. 24, 2006, at his home surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Theresa; brothers, Gottlieb, Herbert, Theodore and Ellis; and sisters, Viola, Erna and Ella.

Grateful to have shared his life are his wife, Violet of East Helena; one son, Don (Karen) Nell of Spokane, Wash.; three daughters, Amy (Ernie) Mote of Clancy; Nancy Nell of Kodiak, Alaska; and Joan (Brian) Vining of Great Falls; four grandchildren, Trevor (April) Mote of Prescott, Ariz.; Dustin Mote of Kingman, Ariz.; and Logan and Peyton Vining of Great Falls. He is survived by one sister, Irene Mitchell, of Forsyth, as well as numerous relatives and friends.

Visitation will begin at

1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Retz Funeral Home Chapel. The family will receive friends beginning at 4 p.m. with a prayer service to be held at 5:30 p.m. Funeral services will be at First Lutheran Church, 2231 E. Broadway, at 11 a.m., Monday, Jan. 30. Interment will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Manchester Cemetery near Great Falls. Memorials are suggested to the First Lutheran Church, Helena; Hospice of St. Peter’s, 2475 E. Broadway, Helena, MT 59601; or to the Dialysis Unit of St. Peter’s Hospital, 2475 E. Broadway, Helena, MT 59601.