Jeanette Rose Nelson

Jeanette Nelson, age 93, of Watertown, formerly of Garden City, died Tuesday morning, November 5, 2024, at The Village with family by her side.

A visitation will be held Sunday, November 10, 2024 from 2-4 PM at Furness Funeral Home of Clark and one hour preceding the funeral service. The funeral service will be held Monday, November 11, 2024, at 10:30 AM at First United Methodist Church of Watertown with Reverend Sara McManus officiating. Following lunch, burial will be held at Graceland Cemetery of rural Henry.

Jeanette Rose Hanson was born in her grandparents' home in Bradley, SD, to Earl C. and Ilah G. (Olson) Hanson on November 17,1930. The house was built by her Grandpa Hans Olson, has been restored and is still in the family today. She was baptized, confirmed and married at St. John's Lutheran Church at Bradley.  On the family farm, she helped her Dad with farming by horses, shocking grain, threshing, and milking cows. She attended Thorp Consolidated School for ten years and then the last two years of her education, she attended Clark High School graduating in May 1948. In Clark, she worked for Gamble's, Brekke's Café, and after school at George Sherwood's lawyer's office.

Jeanette married Don W. Nelson on June 30, 1948, in a double wedding with her sister Doris on their parent's wedding anniversary. Their Grandpa Hans Olson worked hard to get the church basement ready for the reception. Don and Jeanette were married for over 64 years before he passed in 2013.

She helped on their farm and also worked grading potatoes in the washer for Fletcher's at Garden City for several years.  She worked one year at the Garden City Farmers and Merchants Bank before they had their family. They were blessed with two daughters, Donette and Lisa. When their youngest daughter was starting school, the bank asked her to come back and she spent the next 33 years there.

Don and Jeanette were avid Minnesota Twins fans. Music, dancing, horses, and playing cards were things she enjoyed but most of all Jeanette loved attending the grandchildren's activities, whether it was 4-H, basketball, softball, baseball or football.  She also enjoyed canning and gardening. She was very active member of the Garden City Methodist Church where she was involved in the women's group, taught Sunday School, and helped with the Youth Group. Jeanette had a great love of music. She and her sister would sing together for various events, she sang in the church choir, and led the Sunday School music with her daughters accompanying on the piano for many years. In Jeanette's own words "My faith and family were most important to me." She will be remembered as a loving mother, grandma and great grandma, a friend to many, a hard worker and someone who never spoke ill of anyone.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Don, her sister, Doris Sheldon, her niece Laurie Ann Lingor and great-grandson, Kai Riley Theel.

Grateful to have shared her life are her daughters, Donette (Dennis) Theel of Sioux Falls, and Lisa (Allen) Stern of Clark, grandchildren, Kelsey Jo (Sam) Collins, Riley Lee (Paige) Theel and Dana (Jamie Angerhofer) Stern, great grandchildren, Harrison and Hudson Collins, Koa and Wren Theel, Ilah Stern, her brother, Dennis (Flora) Hanson of Aberdeen, several nieces and nephews, and many friends and neighbors.

Furness Funeral Home of Clark is assisting the family with arrangements and have an online registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com.