Clarice Imogene Moline Nelson

Clarice M. Nelson, 85, of Redwood Falls died Monday, June 11, 2012 at Redwood Area Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 16, 2012 from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls with burial to follow at Crestlawn Gardens, rural Redwood Falls. Visitation will be held on Friday, June 15, 2012, from 4 until 7 p.m., at the Nelson-Martin Funeral Home in Redwood Falls and will continue at the church on Saturday for one hour prior to services.

Arrangements are with Nelson-Martin Funeral Service of Redwood Falls. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelsonmartinfuneralservice.com .

Clarice Imogene Moline Nelson, the daughter of Carl L. and Hannah (Nelson) Moline, was born November 3, 1926 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She grew up in Minneapolis and received her formal education at Garfield Elementary, Phillips Junior High, and Central High schools in Minneapolis. Clarice, who was a member of the National Honor Society, graduated co-salutatorian of her 1,000 member senior class in January 1945. During her high school career, she also lettered in girls volleyball and girls basketball.

Following her high school graduation, Clarice worked as a secretary until that June when she took a short vacation to visit her sister in Havre, Montana. She fell in love with the area and stayed for over two years, taking a job in the Buttrey Store in downtown Havre. Clarice returned to Minneapolis in the spring of 1948. A few weeks later, she met her cousin’s friend, Einar “Wally” Nelson.

Clarice and Einar were married September 10, 1949 in the Little Homelike Church of Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis. Following their honeymoon to points north and west, they moved into an apartment above her parents’ home on Franklin Avenue. While Einar attended classes at the University of Minnesota, Clarice worked as a secretary at United Engineering. In the early spring of 1951, the couple moved to Einar’s home farm in rural Redwood Falls where they lived and farmed for the next 40 years.

While raising their four children, Clarice was also a 4-H leader and a charter member of the Tuesday Afternoon Club. She was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls where she belonged to the Deborah and Martha circles and taught Sunday school. Clarice also enjoyed league bowling, women’s golf league, and crafting. She was an expert cross-stitcher and created dozens of intricate items for family and friends.

She and Einar retired from farming in 1991 and moved into Redwood Falls. Clarice became a resident of Sunwood Good Samaritan Care Center in February 2011.

She is survived by her husband Einar Wallace Nelson of Redwood Falls; children Jan Craig Nelson of Redwood Falls, Timothy Wade Nelson (Beth) of Sartell, Shareen Nelson Neumann (David) of Wabasso, and Michael Wallace Nelson (Debra) of Redwood Falls; grandchildren Nathan, Matthew, and Andrew Nelson, Erin Neumann Nelson and Brad Neumann, and Jeffrey and Josh Nelson; four great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law Joan Moline of Richfield.

Clarice was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers and one sister.

Blessed be her memory.