Rose M. Nelson

Rose M. Nelson, 84, longtime Moses Lake resident, passed away Thursday, June 2, 2005 at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake.

She is survived by her husband, Arnold C. Nelson. She was born in Elma as the third of seven children to the late John and Olive White. The family lived in Ridgefield, Kalama and Vancouver. She was preceded in death by two of her brothers, Harry and the Rev. Donald L. White. She is survived by sisters Lola Chamberlain and Mary Crouch of Vancouver and Peggy Johnston of Longview, as well as her brother, John C. White of Castle Rock. Her very large family has provided nieces and nephews, all of whom love and admire her. In addition, she had three adopted daughters, Karen Holloway, Rose Marie Cook and Margaret Staudenraus.

Rose was a member of the class of 1938 at Kalama High School. She was a cafeteria worker at Kaiser Shipyard in Vancouver during World War II. As a part of her duty, she accompanied and served meals to President Franklin D. Roosevelt during an official trip up the Columbia River on a newly commissioned Navy ship built at the shipyard.

She and Arnold began their 57-year marital romance after a chance meeting at a dance in 1947. She followed Arnold all over the world as a military wife of an Air Force Senior Master Sergeant. Upon retirement in 1973, they settled in Moses Lake. Rose was an active sportswoman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. She was well known and respected for her outstanding cooking skills — she loved to cook and was never intimidated by any recipe; rather, challenged by it.

Graveside funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Ore., with Pastor Floyd Wilks officiating. Visitation will be Monday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.