Daniel J. Nelson, age 41, of Aurora, died Sunday, December 14, 2008, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, of injuries received in a welding accident. Funeral services will be 3:00 P.M. Thursday, December 18, 2008, at the First English Lutheran Church in Aurora, with visitations preceding services at the church, beginning at 1:00 P.M. A prayer service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, December 20, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Creighton, South Dakota. Interment will follow in the Creighton Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to First English Lutheran Church in Aurora or the Regions Hospital Burn Unit, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Daniel Joseph Nelson was born July 1, 1967, at Brookings, South Dakota, to Jerry and Mary (Holm) Nelson. He was raised at Brookings, the second oldest of eight children. He graduated from Brookings High School. He joined the South Dakota National Guard in 1986. On July 19, 1997, he married Jana Fauske at Wall, South Dakota. Danny was employed by Midwest Insulation, Bowes Construction, and PKG Contracting.

Danny was a member of First English Lutheran Church in Aurora and served as a church elder. He enjoyed NASCAR, hunting turkeys and deer, dirt track racing, and camping. He was a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Survivors include his wife, Jana Nelson, of Aurora, South Dakota; his mother, Mary Nelson, of Brookings; father, Jerry Nelson, of Brookings; paternal grandmother, Viola (Dale) Wagner, of Brookings; seven siblings: Shellice (Rich) Daly of Aurelia, Iowa, Philip Nelson of Springfield, Oregon, Shonda Nelson of White, South Dakota, Jonathon Nelson of Rapid City, South Dakota, Jaime Nelson of Brookings, Jeffrey Nelson of Spearfish, South Dakota, and Toby (Ginger) Nelson of White, South Dakota; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Norman and Lorraine Fauske, of Wall, South Dakota; sister-in-law, Lisa (David) Schalk of San Francisco, California; brother-in-law, Mark (Alyson) Fauske of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Alvin Nelson; maternal grandparents, Jens and Genevieve Holm; an uncle, Rodney Nelson; aunts Lori Holm and Deanna Holm; and cousins, Patrick Smith, Heather Holm, and Dawn Nelson.