Ruth Nelson

Visitation for Ruth E. Nelson will be on Friday, October 9, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home, 401 Burlington Street, Holdrege, Nebraska.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. at the Westmark Evangelical Free Church, rural Loomis, Nebraska, with Pastors Doug Karst, Tom Barnes, and Noah Tyler officiating. Interment will follow at the Sandstrom Cemetery in rural Phelps County, Nebraska.

The service will be streamed live on the Westmark Evangelical Church YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@westmarkchurch1736/streams 

Ruth Ellen Nelson, 92, a beloved and faith-filled wife, mother, and friend, passed away Oct. 1 at Christian Homes Care Community in Holdrege, Nebraska. Ruth was born Dec. 14, 1933, in Russell County, Kan., the oldest daughter of Herman Langholz and Eva Boxberger Langholz.

Ruth grew up in Russell, Kan., born in a limestone farmhouse four miles north of town and later moving to a house on Wichita Avenue within the city limits. She was baptized and lived out her faith at St. John's Lutheran Church in Russell. She attended rural school in Russell County and graduated from Russell High School in 1951.

She attended Midland College in Fremont, Neb., earning certification in elementary education after two years. After completing her two years at Midland College, she taught for one year in a rural one-room primary school near Russell. She later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kan.

On June 13, 1954, Ruth married Carl Karst at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Russell, Kansas. The couple had three children: Catherine Ruth (Cathy), Thomas Carl (Tom), and Douglas Alan (Doug).

Carl was a career Air Force officer, and his duties moved the family to bases in Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and California. In early 1968, Carl was assigned to Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller. On Nov. 16, 1968, he was reported missing in action.

During the years Carl was missing, Ruth was involved with the National League of POW/MIA Families, an advocacy group for families of missing servicemen. She was interviewed by radio stations and newspapers about her experience as the wife of a missing pilot. She encouraged people to contact members of Congress to seek a full accounting of prisoners of war and missing servicemen in Vietnam. Carl Karst was declared killed in action in February 1974.

In 1971, Ruth moved with her children from Russell to Manhattan, Kan., where she served as Activities Director for First Lutheran Church for more than three years. She lived her life with a devotion to Christ that never wavered in good times or bad.

While living in Manhattan, Ruth was introduced to Bertrand farmer Raymond Nelson through Raymond’s brother, Willard Nelson, a Manhattan resident and Kansas State University student advisor in the College of Education, and his wife, Barbara. The long-distance courtship led to marriage, and Ruth married Raymond on Dec. 4, 1976. The couple celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary in December 2025.

Throughout her married life in Nebraska, Ruth embraced her roles as farm wife, homemaker, mother, and grandmother. She gladly helped with farm chores, including driving a three-wheeler to the cornfields to move water sets on gated pipe.

Her fun spirit and loving kindness were especially evident whenever the family gathered. Ruth was an encourager. She enjoyed playing all kinds of games and relished getting to know her grandchildren, asking questions such as, “What kind of person do you want to marry when you grow up?”

Ruth was an avid reader and often enjoyed several books at once.

Ruth was a member of Westmark Evangelical Free Church. She participated in Bible studies, volunteered with youth and women’s ministries, served on the board of the Phelps County Community Foundation, and shared her optimistic, Christ-centered spirit with everyone in her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her older brother, Richard Langholz, her son-in-law Greg Hupp, and her first husband, Col. Carl F. Karst, who died in 1968.

Ruth is survived by her beloved husband, Raymond Nelson, Holdrege; her sister, Arlene Elliot, Topeka, Kan.; her children, Cathy Hupp of North Richland Hills, Texas, Tom (Sally) Karst of Lenexa, Kan., and Doug (Amy) Karst of Overland Park, Kan.; and her 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Her grandchildren are Andrew (Ekaterina) Hupp, Apex, N.C., Lt. Daniel Hupp, DC USN (Sidney), Yulee, Fla., and Jonathan (Rachel) Hupp, Oklahoma City, children of Cathy (and the late Greg) Hupp; Ben Karst, Lenexa, Kan., Brian (Amber) Karst, Lenexa, Kan., and Betsy (David) Wagner, Shawnee, Kan., children of Tom and Sally Karst; and Stephen (Karra) Karst, Grandview, Mo., Katie Karst (fiancé Nathan Doom), Overland Park, Kan., Alan Karst, Overland Park, Kan., and Matthew Karst, Overland Park, Kan., children of Doug and Amy Karst.

Memorial contributions in Ruth’s memory may be made to the Missions Outreach Fund of Westmark Evangelical Free Church, Loomis, Neb., 68958.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.