Harold Christian Nash

MOVILLE, Iowa -- Harold "Ting" Christian Nash, 87, of Moville died Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, at Whispering Creek Active Retirement Community in Sioux City.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Moville, with the Rev. Richard Ries officiating. Burial will be in Arlington Township Cemetery, with military rites provided by the American Legion. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with family present 5 to 8 p.m. and a parish vigil service at 6 p.m., at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of McCulloch Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home in Moville.
Harold was born Oct. 27, 1924, to Harry and Gertrude (Parke) Nash, on the family farm north of Moville. He was active in Boy Scouts and earned his Eagle. Harold graduated valedictorian of his class from Moville High School in 1942. He continued his education at Iowa State College in the fall of 1942 in animal husbandry. He pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Harold was called to service in the fall of 1943, earning his gold wings with the U.S. Navy Air Corps on June 13, 1945, in Corpus Christi, Texas. From there he went to Sanford, Fla., where he flew the Navy Hellcat Fighter plane. As a result of a serious plane crash due to mechanical hazard, Harold spent several months at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. On May 1, 1947, he earned an honorable discharge. In the fall of 1947, Harold began his farming and livestock career with his father.
He married Lois Larsen on Dec. 29, 1948, in Dayton, Ohio. They made their home on the family farm. Harold and Lois moved to Moville in 1987. Lois died on Oct. 20, 2011. In 1970, Harold worked for Agrischool, teaching cow-calf operators the technique of artificial insemination in beef and dairy breeds. This was a time when exotic breeds were first introduced into the United States. He spent many summers traveling to help cattlemen improve their cow-calf production and record-keeping programs. Also in the 1970s, Harold and Howard Logan became bonded order buyers, buying feeder cattle for producers in the local area. He truly enjoyed being involved in all aspects of the cattle industry.
Harold also enjoyed being involved in the community and area activities. For many years he served on the Woodbury County Fair Board, including as president of the board, on the REC Board for 28 years, on the Woodbury County Cattlemen's Association Board and on the First Trust and Savings Bank board of directors.
Harold was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Moville, the American Simmental Association, American Legion Wink-Sparks Post 303, the Meadows Country Club and Men's Golf League. Harold received the Woodbury County Soil Conservation Achievement Award in 1963 and 1972 and was the Iowa Beef Improvement Association Commercial Producer of the Year for 1978. He won numerous bull test awards in the '70s and '80s on various breeds and was inducted into the Woodbury County Cattlemen's Association Hall of Fame in 2011. In their retirement years, Harold and Lois, his wife of 62 years, enjoyed spending their winters in Sun City, Ariz. They also enjoyed traveling, including a trip to England, where they visited the Nash Estate.
Survivors include a son, Bruce Nash of Kingsley, Iowa; daughter, Barbara and Lyle Kesl of Ames, Iowa; son, Kurt and Ann Nash of Moville; two grandchildren, Emily and Jamey Lloyd of Phoenix, Ariz., and James and Sheena Nash of Kingsley; three great-grandchildren, Jayden Lloyd, Grayson Lloyd and Beau Nash; and a sister-in-law, Glena Nash of Colorado Springs, Colo.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Lois; and his brother, Slade.