Dolores Nelson, age 88, of Rice Lake, WI passed away Thursday April 14th, 2022.

Dolores was born in Fairmont, MN June 3rd, 1933 to LeRoy and Mary Jensen in the heart of the Great Depression.

She was an only child, but her mother’s large family provided her with many cousins. The large extended family lived in very close proximity to pool their resources. Her closest cousin, playmate and lifetime friend was Darlene (Edge) Allen.

Dolores’s father’s better job prospects took the Jensens to Minneapolis, where she graduated from Central High School. After high school she took secretarial work where she met the love of her life, WWII Merchant Marine veteran Ed Nelson, whom she married in St Louis Park, MN on August 24th, 1957. After the birth of their daughters Marilee and Terri, the family moved to Minnetonka, MN where they had their third child, Jay.

In Minnetonka, Dolores concentrated on raising her family and not taking outside work until Jay was in intermediate school. At that point she went to work with The Pillsbury Company. She was an active member of the Excelsior Methodist Church, taking a leading role in children’s education, the women’s kitchen committee, and entertaining residents at an affiliated nursing home with bingo activities. Ed and Dolores frequented the St. Albans Bay Mens Club for Friday night bingo. Their passion for bowling led her to be secretary of their bowling leagues for many years.

In the early ‘80’s the economy in Minnesota took a bad turn and Ed’s employer announced a move to Dallas, Texas. By 1983 Marilee and Terri had married and moved out. Ed, Dolores and Jay moved to Carrollton, TX. With Jay in high school, Dolores again took outside work at The Home Front, a housewares retailer.

Ed eventually tried his hand at entrepreneurship and opened his own business, Commercial Comfort Company. Unfortunately, Ed’s failing eyesight forced him to sell his business and retire. Ed’s retirement dream of unlimited golf was also dashed by his vision problem. Dolores never really got used to Texas heat and they decided to retire back to Bloomington, MN to be closer to Marilee’s family.

City life did not agree with them and they moved again to Rice Lake, WI. In Rice Lake Dolores and Ed again took up league bowling and they were very social with their neighbors and the wait staffs of their favorite eateries. Ed’s passing in 2014 was devastating to Dolores and after a couple bone breaking falls, she moved to Rice Lake’s Dove Nursing Home. At Dove she was known to be very friendly and welcoming to her new neighbors. She always had a piece of Dove Dark Chocolate to share.

Dolores was preceded in death by her beloved husband Ed and daughter Terri. She is survived by her daughter Marilee (John) Sagat of Richfield, MN and son Jay (Maureen) Nelson of Carrollton, TX, son-in-law CW4 Tim Niesen of Thomaston, GA; grandchildren Tony Sagat, Stevie Blackwood, Jennifer (Avery) Yack, Jonathan (Ginny) Niesen, Amanda (Zamin) Jawani, Angela (Brent) Hitchcock, Jack Nelson and Taylor Nelson; and eleven great grandchildren.

Dolores’s ashes will be interred with Ed’s at The Northern Wisconsin Veteran Cemetery in Spooner, WI as soon as possible. Plans for a Celebration of Life which will likely also be in Spooner will be determined shortly.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Dove Healthcare Recreational fund would be appreciated. Those can be made to Nadine Williams, Recreation Director c/o Dove Healthcare 910 Bear Paw Ave, Rice Lake, WI 54868.

Last Update: Apr 19, 2022 7:51 pm CDT