Frances Nelson

Frances Stakel Nelson, 90, formerly of Ypsilanti, MI., passed away peacefully while surrounded by her loving family, at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday June 16, 2009 at the Bell Trace Health and Living in Bloomington IN. Born October 10, 1918 to Charles and Charlotte (Nelson) Stakel in Republic, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, she attended the Republic elementary school and graduated with honors from the Ishpeming MI High School in 1935 at the age of 16. Frances then enrolled in Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL, graduating in 1939 with a BA in French Language and Literature. She then studied at Milwaukee Downer College earning a diploma in Occupational Therapy in 1941. For three years, during World War II, she served as Director of Occupational Therapy at Billings Hospital, Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN and, following the War, she became Head of the Occupational Therapy Department at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. During the latter five years, she also was the Associate Editor of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Following their marriage in Marquette MI on April 10, 1950, Frances and Bruce K. Nelson resided in Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Lorain OH and then spent 54 years as residents of Ypsilanti, MI. Frances was a devoted wife, mother, aunt, sister, cousin, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her hobbies included fly fishing, cross country skiing and partridge hunting. She was very skilled at quilting, knitting, thread count embroidery, caning chairs and other crafts, producing pieces of artistic handiwork that are treasured by her family. She enjoyed reading, photography, cooking, researching family genealogy, and making holiday decorations. Frances was a member of the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Wives and Associates Book Club, the Ypsilanti Public Library Book Club, and was a Board Member of the Eastern Michigan University Town hall One-room Schoolhouse. For 25 years she served as a Board Member of the Washtenaw Camp Placement Association and raised scholarship funds to send many children to summer camps. She was enthusiastic regarding the performing arts and enjoyed attending theater and musical presentations. She participated in the EMU Wives Foreign Cooking Group, and was active in many of the social activities on the EMU Campus. She was 50+ year member of the First Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti. She enjoyed traveling to all of the lower 48 states, all of the Canadian Provinces, Europe (especially Scandinavia) and Mexico. Her greatest joy was to vacation at the Lake Superior and Walloon Lake family cabins. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Gretchen Sielstead and Barbara Clancey, adopted step-daughter Jill (Nelson) Becker and great granddaughter Zola Becker. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, John Nelson, of Deephaven, MN, Scott Nelson, of Phoenix, AZ, David Nelson, of Newburgh, IN, and Nancy (Nelson) Barlow, of Bloomington, and by fourteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. The family thanks the staff at Bell Trace and the staff at Bloomington Hospital Home Health and Hospice for their care of Frances during the past two and one half years. A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 20th, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 221 East Sixth Street Bloomington, IN. Visitation will be held at the church one hour before the memorial service. Internment will follow in August 2009 at the Park Cemetery in Marquette MI. In lieu of flowers, send donations to the Washtenaw Camp Placement Association, 2378 East Stadium Boulevard, Suite 107, Ann Arbor MI, 48104 Allen Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

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Frances Nelson

October 10, 1918 - June 16, 2009