Nellie (De Waard) ELIASON

DE WAARD, ELIASON, THOMPSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/13/2013 at 18:41:27

May 11, 1931 --- January 2, 2013

Pella — Nellie Eliason was born on May 11, 1932, to Jacob and Mary De Waard in Wright County, Iowa. She passed away on January 2, 2013, at the Hospice of Pella Comfort House in Pella, Iowa. Nellie lived in Kanawha, Harcourt, and Hawkeye, where she made many life-long friendships. She graduated from the Corwith High School and from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She became a teacher and taught in a one-room country school in Hancock County for one year.

On January 19, 1953, Nellie was united in marriage with Melvin Eliason at the Little Brown Church near Nashua, Iowa. To this union, seven children were born: Mickey, Randy, Douglas, Steven, James, Julie, and Rachel.

Nellie was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church in Pella and also belonged to several women’s groups. She enjoyed helping refugee families when they first arrived in Iowa and spent many hours in volunteer service at the Pella Regional Health Center, the Pella Welcome Center, the Work of Our Hands Store, and as a hospice volunteer.

Nellie is survived by the following: daughter Mickey Eliason of San Francisco, CA; son Doug (Lavonne) Eliason of Salem, OR; son Steve Eliason of Iowa City, IA; son Jim Eliason of San Diego, CA; daughter Julie (Kevin) Thompson of Des Moines, IA; daughter Rachel Eliason of Des Moines, IA; grandchildren Lindsay, Erin, Lauren, Andy, Amanda, Sadie, Steven, Forest, Ashley, and Amanda; great-grandchildren Alana, Myra, and Emery; and sister Ann. She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin, by son Randy, by daughter-in-law Anita, by her parents and parents-in-law, and by brothers Adrian and Clarence and sisters Cyrena and Geraldine. Nellie will be remembered for her love of the sweet things in life.

Funeral services were held Sunday, January 6, 2013, at the Peace Lutheran Church in Pella. The Garden Chapel Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Pella Chronicle -- Pella, Iowa
January 11, 2013