Mary Evelyn Nelson, February 12, 1929 — May 14, 2019

Mary’s Obituary Mankato Mortuary 1001 North Riverfront Drive Mankato, MN 56001 507-388-2202 Mary Evelyn Nelson died peacefully at home after a brief illness. Celebration of Mary’s Life will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 25, 2019 at the First Presbyterian Church in Mankato. Burial will be at Glenwood Cemetery in Mankato.

Visitation will be held from 4 – 7 p.m., Friday at Mankato Mortuary and one hour before the service at the church on Saturday. She was born in Fairfield, IA to Florence Evelyn and Henry Warren Denison. She graduated from Mankato High School in 1947 and Macalester College in 1951.

She went on to obtain a master’s degree in Christian Education from McCormack Seminary in Chicago. She held positions in Lockport, New York and Emporia, Kansas before moving to New York City where she worked in various national church offices. She met her future husband, Bill Nelson, while on a trip home to Mankato.

They were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Mankato in 1961. After marriage, Mary spent most of her life as a homemaker. When the children were older, she worked as a bookkeeper for Bill’s optometry business.

She was active in many service organizations. She and Bill welcomed MSU foreign exchange students in their home for many years and worked on several missions with Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity. She was active in the First Presbyterian Church and Daughters of the American Revolution.

Even in the last year of her life she helped immigrants study for their citizenship exams. Mary was an avid traveler and adventurer. She traveled to Asia, Europe, and South America.

She went scuba diving in her 60s while visiting the Philippines. She loved anything fast: water skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding and speedboat rides. She was known for her kindness, generosity and wry sense of humor.

She is preceded in death by her husband William F Nelson. She is survived by her two children Kathryn and William and beloved grandchildren William, Ted, Ben, Evelyn, Harrison and Anna. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the First Presbyterian Church of Mankato or donor’s choice.

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