Martin A. Nelson, Associate Justice 1953-1972

Martin A. Nelson, former high court justice, dies at 90

Published May 23, 1979

Copyright permission granted by Star Tribune

Former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court Martin A. Nelson, 90, died Tuesday. 

Nelson was on the Supreme Court from 1953 to 1972, when he retired. Prior to that he was a lawyer in Austin, Minn., and later a district judge. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota in 1934 and 1936. 

Nelson, who lived in St. Paul, died in Miller Hospital of complications of a stroke he suffered last week. 

He is survived by his widow, Merle; a daughter, Enid Jesmer; a son, Arthur Nelson, and a granddaughter and two step-granddaughters, all of St. Paul. 

Visitation is scheduled for 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday in Listoe and Wold funeral home, 521 Snelling Ave., St. Paul, and funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday in Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 S. Snelling Av. 

Martin A. Nelson, former high court justice, dies at 90

Published May 23, 1979

Copyright permission granted by Star Tribune

Former Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Martin A. Nelson, 90, died Tuesday in a St. Paul hospital. 

He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1953 and served 19 years before his retirement seven years ago. A bill was brought before the Legislature in 1971, when Nelson was 82, to force his retirement from the bench. The bill did not pass. 

He previously had been a district judge and a lawyer in Austin and twice won the Republican nomination for governor only to lose to Farmer-Labor Party candidates. 

Nelson lost to Floyd B. Olson in the 1934 general election and was defeated by Elmer A. Benson in 1936. He also sought the Republican nomination in 1938. 

During World War I Nelson served as an aviator and aviation instructor at American air training fields. He had been a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1928 and 1932.

Court officials said Nelson had suffered a stroke about a week ago.