Celebration of Life
Brookview Golden Valley-
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Email Details
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316 Brookview Parkway South
Golden Valley, MN 55426
Jeanne Margaret Nelson
January 3, 1944 — June 23, 2021
Jeanne Margaret Nelson
Jeanne passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family on 6/23/21. Her passions included world travel and devoting herself to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She considered being a homemaker and matriarch a privilege, bringing excellence and grace to every facet of family life.
While she missed her favorite travel companion Jim, she continued adventuring and learning about other cultures. Inclusive by nature, many cultural experiences were pursued and embraced, opening her heart and cultivating her love of life-long learning. In later years, she returned to Montpelier, France enrolling as a student for a semester to immerse herself in the French language/culture she so adored.
Always the consummate hostess, Jeanne adored entertaining by thoughtfully showering friends and family with gifts, gourmet meals and festive celebrations. She loved every event, from children’s birthday parties, tea parties, holiday gatherings, dinners, brunches, card parties and showers. These special events always included good food, meaningful conversations and a lot of laughter.
Jeanne was genuinely interested in learning more about everyone she met. She did not have acquaintances! Her ability to make everyone feel as if they were the most important person to her led to the formation of countless lifelong friendships, which she meticulously maintained through letters, calls, emails and texts. She supported the greeting card industry and the US Postal service by sending countless birthday cards.
Spending her childhood as a caregiver and helping to raise her younger stepsiblings cultivated Jeanne’s child development expertise. This priceless gift provided her large family with unconditional love and nurturance, leaving an eternal legacy. She read to them often and she continued this tradition with her own children and grandchildren, stressing the importance of reading, education, music, good friends and travel. For her grandchildren, time spent at Mere and Papa’s meant that something creative and fun was always planned! Many field trips ensued to museums, concerts, theater performances, The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Dayton’s Christmas Displays and playgrounds.
Her boundless joy and energy clearly impacted her professional and entrepreneurial endeavors. Jeanne’s career spanned her father’s law practice, TV Guide in Minneapolis, Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School, a Technical Editor with Ciprico and working at Lunds & Byerly’s. Interspersed throughout these years she also owned several businesses, including Professional Event Planning with Radio Best Awards and Street of Dreams, as a Mary Kay Consultant for many years and finally as a Care Companion Professional for residents at Summerwood in Plymouth.
Volunteerism was foundational. Jeanne was loyal, dedicated, gracious and generous with her time, talent and treasure. Between work and family life, Jeanne developed youth curriculum for St. Joseph’s Parish in New Hope, participated in League of Women Voters (we have fond memories of ducking the phone cord during long calls as she multi-tasked around the kitchen during this era) and orchestrated reunions for Our Lady of Grace, St. Margaret’s Academy and the College of St. Benedict. In its early years, she was one of the first volunteers with PRISM. Her labor of love was organizing the first all night graduation party for the 1983 Class of Robbinsdale Armstrong Senior High School, bringing together teams of parent volunteers to continue the tradition annually.
Jeanne’s father always advised her to live each day to its fullest, and she truly embraced that principle. She amazed all of us with her accomplishments and endless energy, while prioritizing time with family and friends. She will be profoundly missed, but her spirit endures in every person she touched. Jeanne superseded her struggles, overcoming challenges and finding the serendipities. By faithfully encouraging and uplifting others, she echoed the gift of who we are to her and the world around us…her irreplaceable spirit remains forever!
Open House Celebration will be held Sunday, August 8 th from 1 - 5 PM at Brookview Golden Valley, 316 Brookview Pkwy S., Golden Valley.
Private Interment at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers or memorials, Jeanne would have asked that you share your treasure and time with someone you care about in her honor.
Jeanne's signature detailed planning was derailed by a global pandemic. The picture of her on a boat leaving Harbor Island in 2006 in the photo gallery below reminds us to laugh a little through the sorrow, knowing she's off on her next adventure!
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Jeanne Margaret Nelson, please visit our flower store.
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