J. Eva Nelson

J. Eva Nelson

J. Eva Nelson, 95, died Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, at Northern Montana Care Center of natural causes.

Her funeral service will be 5 p. m. Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, at First Lutheran Church. Her graveside service will be held at Daneville Cemetery near Westby, at 3:30 p. m. Mountain Time — 4:30 p. m. Central Time — on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011.

Memorial contributions in Eva's honor may be made to Grace Chapel at Northern Montana Care Center in Havre, Mont., Immanuel Lutheran Church in Westby, Mont., the Daneville Cemetery Fund, First Lutheran Church in Havre, Mont., or Lutheran World Relief Services. Arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.

Eva Jensen was born Nov. 23, 1915, at her home near Hardy, Neb. She grew up in rural Nebraska in a Danish Lutheran community and was educated in a one-room school. Both of her parents died when she was young, but she and her siblings stayed together and managed the family farm. As a young adult she worked at Emmanuel Hospital and at the telephone company in Omaha, Neb. She moved to Los Angeles, and met and married George H. Nelson in 1949. They made their home in northwestern North Dakota, near Westby, Mont., where they farmed and raised their four children. Though Eva and George only had an eighth-grade education, all of their children received college degrees. Eva was a busy farm wife, working long hours cooking, baking, gardening, sewing and caring for her children, while George farmed and raised cattle. They were active members of Daneville Lutheran Church and later Immanuel Lutheran in Westby. Eva loved quilting for Lutheran World Relief and participating in ALCW/WELCA.

After George died in 1987 of cancer, Eva moved to Williston, N.D., where she lived until 2002. When her health began to decline, she moved to Havre, Mont., to be near her daughter, Elaine. She was a resident of Northern Montana Care Center for over nine years, enjoying the staff and daily activities.

Eva's Christian faith and her family brought her comfort and joy throughout her life. She will be missed by her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George; sister, Esther Miller; brothers, Albert and Alvin; and her parents, Soren and Bertina Jensen, who emigrated from Denmark in the early 1900s.

Eva is survived by her brother, Harvey (Mary) Jensen of Omaha, Neb. ; children, Dennis (Shirley) Nelson of Wheat Ridge, Colo., Carol (Keith Henry) Nelson of White Bear Lake, Minn., Janice (Terry) Bechtold of Billings, and Elaine (Brad) Ulgenes of Havre; and 12 grandchildren: Katie, Kimmie, and Matt Nelson; Dan, Nate and David Henry; Chris, Nick and Ryan Bechtold, and Joanna, Emily and Jacob Ulgenes.