Obituary - Jan Dell Nelson

Jan Dell Nelson, 62, peacefully entered Heaven's gates May 23, 2016, with her family by her side in Chester, Montana. Jan passed away after a VERY long and strong fight with metastatic breast cancer.

A vigil will be held Friday at 7 p.m., and a funeral will be held Saturday, May 28, at 1

p.m., both at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chester. Graveside and reception to follow after the funeral, also at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Jan was born April 29, 1954, in Shelby, Montana, to John and Vivian (Rockman) Dolezal.

She attended Eagle Creek School out in the country first to sixth grades. She then traveled into town to attend Chester Public School seventh to 12th grades and graduated from there.

She attended Eastern Montana College in Billings to obtain an Associate of Art in business; Carroll College for one semester for business; and Northern Montana College for 1 1/2 years to finish a four-year bachelor's degree in business in 1987, after being diagnosed with cancer.

Jan met the love of her life when she was at the young age of 16. She spotted her soulmate right away and said to her friend that she was going to become his girlfriend. Shortly after, she did just that. Jan and Larry started dating in October 1970. And four years later Jan married Lawrence (Larry) Nelson on June 8 at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chester.

Jan was a VERY loving and caring soul who lived to help, others and always put others needs before her own. This became very evident throughout her life after her first battle with breast cancer. Once Jan was "cured" from breast cancer the first time, she started helping out with the local hospice and talking to any patient who wanted or needed her assistance. She was also a very active member in Reach to Recovery. In 2001 she and a group of ladies formed Hi-Line WABC and started holding golf tournaments to raise money for other women fighting breast cancer along the Hi-Line and surrounding areas. This money always stayed local and helped a lot of women through very hard times.

Jan had a love of many things: God and her faith, watching her kids and grandkids in anything and everything they did, cooking, reading, playing cribbage with Larry, music of all kinds, traveling, golf and, most importantly, spending time with and taking care of her family. Her grandkids are the very reason she fought sooooo hard for soooo long.

Along with loving so many different things, Jan was active in a wide variety of organizations. She was a part of Bethel Welca and Church Board, Liberty County Hospice, helping it get accredited, Reach to Recovery and of course starting Hi-Line WABC and being a part of it up until the very end days.

Jan Dell is survived by her husband, Larry Nelson; son, Michael and family Deena, Molly, Nate, Levi, Jenell and Josie; daughter, Kali and family John, Ledger and Maddax; brothers, Jerry (Cheri) and Rick (Susan); sister, Jaci Dolezal Anderson; many nieces and nephews, cousin and in-laws; and her five godchildren, Danielle Dolezal Boelter, Travis Nelson, Darien Nelson-Henry, Erin Wolfe and Jenell Vivian Nelson.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Vivian Dolezal.

Donations may be sent to Hi-Line WABC, Box 154, Chester MT 59522

Arrangements have been made by Rockman Funeral Home.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles: they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."