Jennie Janie Nelson

Jennie Janie Williams Nelson, 86, died Thursday, July 5, 2012 at St. Joseph's Villa after a decades-long struggle against serious medical problems.

Born Jan. 26, 1926, in Dallas, Texas, to Lawrence George and Mirda Mae Pack Williams, Jennie was named for her Irish maternal grandmother. Her parents and her five brothers, Will, Barney, Joe, Jack and Ralph, preceded her in death. After World War II, Ralph escorted his sister to an Officer's Club dance where she met Lt. Claron Eschler Nelson, who was stationed in Texas following combat in the European Theater. The 20-year-old Texas beauty fell for the handsome lieutenant; later, he sold his car to buy her wedding ring. They were married Sept. 4, 1946 in the Houston Mission Home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on June 6, 1947. They had four children, Angelyn Jennie, Claron Williams, James Quentin and Renate. In the first decade of their marriage, Jennie became seriously ill. Claron spent most of their 62-year marriage caring for her needs, making certain she had the best of medical and mental health care. He died on Sept. 16, 2008.

Jennie had a beautiful singing voice, filling the home with sounds of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" when she was a young mother (although pink was her favorite color). She was an accomplished seamstress. She adored vanilla ice cream, old movies, her house on Preston Street, Christmas sweaters year-round, and her dogs Trudy and Rudy. Above all else, she loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jennie converted to the LDS Church at age 20, and was a member of the Crystal Heights First Ward of the Salt Lake Highland Stake for more than 50 years. For the past four years she lived with her daughter, Angelyn, and was a member of the Imperial First Ward.

Survivors include: Angelyn (Jerry) Hutchinson, Salt Lake City; C.W. "Bill" Nelson, Salt Lake City; James (Vicki) Nelson, Holladay; and Renate Nelson, Salt Lake City; grandchildren, Stephanie (Mark) Deppe, North Ogden; Elizabeth (Casey) Talbot, Fair Grove, Mo.; Jesse Nelson and Cali Jo Nelson, Holladay; Jamie Lynn (Luke) Ingersoll, Taylorsville; Andrew (Hannah) Glade and Jenna Glade, Salt Lake City; and great-grandchildren, Porter, Mia and Zoe Talbot, Fair Grove, Mo.

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at the Nelson family plot in the Millville (Cache County) Utah cemetery, where she will be buried next to her eternal companion.

The family wishes to thank the St. Joseph's Villa staff for their kindness and professionalism, Dr. Jeffrey Twitchell for the more than 20 years of compassionate care he gave to our parents, and Lesieli, our mother's devoted caregiver who taught us the true meaning of unconditional love.