Mrs. Betty Mylet Nielsen

Mrs. Betty Nielsen, died November 30, 2019 at Emerald Crest Memory Care in Minnetonka, MN where she resided for the past 2 ½ years. She was 94 years old. A Funeral Service will be held at 11 A.M. on Friday, December 13 at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 4801 France Ave S in Edina, MN. A public visitation with the family will be from 10:15 – 10:45 AM that morning at the church. A luncheon will follow. Committal will be at 4:30p.m. later in the day at Fort Snelling National Cemetery where she will be buried with her husband. Condolences and memorials can be sent to: Randy Nielsen, 10 Knollwood Court, Mason City, IA 50401. Memorials can be designated. Undesignated memorials will be sent to Alzheimer’s Disease research. ____ Betty Mylet (Purcell) Nielsen was born on August 31, 1925 in Omaha Nebraska, to Ralph Sherman and Geneva Leona (Johnson) Purcell. She was baptized in June of 1936 on Children’s Day at the Methodist church Laurel NE. She lost her dad to an infection at age 9. From there her mom had a maternity home in their house. With little money there was little opportunity for her when she graduated from high school. However, in 1933, right when she was 18 years old, as she put it, “an unheard of opportunity came along” when the US congress created the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps to solve the acute nursing shortage. The fund provided her with tuition, room, board, books, uniforms and a monthly $5 stipend. She had to promise to serve as a nurse at home or abroad for the duration of the war. So Betty enrolled in the Nebraska Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, Omaha, NE as a Cadet Nurse. She was President of the Class of 1947 – and later (at their 50th Re-union) she called those years some of the best of her life. The war ended before she could be called to serve, but for the next half century, Betty devoted herself to her patients, family and community. Her professional career included positions as charge nurse and supervisor in Nebraska, Minnesota and North Dakota. She also volunteered extensively, offering her nursing talents to oversee blood bank donations, school vaccines, flu shot, and physicals to students at St Cloud State and the state penitentiary. Soon after graduating from nursing school she met and was married to Merl Dean Luther Nielsen. They were married at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Laurel Nebraska by his father Rev. Niels Peter Nielsen on November 9, 1947. (Prior to that, in August of 1947) Betty was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. They were married for 31 years until he died of cancer in 1978. Betty was a caring mother who got her children involved in all kinds of extra curricular activities and proud to be a Registered Nurse. She loved her grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them. After retirement she lived at 7500 York in Edina – and enjoyed singing with the Bloomingtones and line dancing with the Bzz . She later lived at the Summit Place in Eden Prairie, and finally Emerald Crest in Minnetonka. After marriage she was always a member of a Lutheran church. For the past 20 years she was a member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. Betty was preceded in death by her mom and dad, her husband, Merl Dean Luther Nielsen, and all of her siblings: Everett Purcell (Laverne), Gene Purcell, Duane Purcell (Jeri), Marilyn Knudson, Gladys Close (Lee) and Dale Purcell. Betty is survived by 5 children: Larry Nielsen (Linda) of Lakeville, MN; Nancy Jo Nielsen of New Hope, MN; Randy Nielsen (Deb) of Mason City, IA; Merlajean Gartland (Steve) of Plymouth, MN and Mark Nielsen (Carol) of Phonex AZ. Also, 7 grandchildren: Michael Nielsen, Janna Nobleza (Jeff), Luke Gartland, Jaclyn Nielsen, Ryan Nielsen, Candice Nielsen, Cory Nielsen Also great grandchildren: Luke Nielsen, Hailey Nielsen, Charlotte Nielsen, and Zander Nobleza. Also many nieces and nephews.

Tributes

Mrs. Betty Mylet Nielsen

August 31, 1925 - November 30, 2019

Tributes

Mrs. Betty Mylet Nielsen

August 31, 1925 - November 30, 2019

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