Dawn Ann Nelson

Dawn Ann Nelson, 98, passed away peacefully on Dec. 28, 2015 surrounded by friends and family. She was full of energy and “spunky” her whole life, and was joking with relatives just the night before.

She was born Jan. 30, 1917 to Lois and Wendell Phillips in Lewiston, Idaho. She had three brothers and one sister who preceded her in death. She married her high school sweetheart, Osmon T. “Nels” Nelson on Oct. 17, 1936. They were married 63 years before he died in 1999. They had four children, Mike (Karen) Nelson, of Port Orchard, Jim (Linda) Nelson of Clinton, Rex Nelson, who sadly passed in 2007, and Mary (Richard) Niemeyer of Omak; eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Dawn Ann lived a busy, productive life. She worked as a dental assistant for her uncles as a teenager, later helped with the family gas station in Moses Lake, was a public school instructional assistant, and touched many lives. She sold Avon, and was a Weight Watchers lecturer in her “spare” time. She walked for miles every day around her Skyline Acres neighborhood, either with a buddy or alone. Not many could keep up with her pace!

After Nels passed, she lived in the local Hearthstone for a brief time then moved to the Ellensburg Hearthstone for 14 years, some of the happiest of her life — where she delighted other residents with the products of her baking hobby. Recently she moved back home to Brookdale. Her family was the joy of her life. She also derived hours of pleasure from her sewing, crocheting, knitting, and quilting projects. One of her quilts was featured at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colo. Her legacies of great sense of humor, a zest for life, and the beautiful handcrafts she created and gifted are treasures that the family and generations to come will enjoy with fond memories of Mom and Grandma.

Celebration of Life for Dawn Ann will be this spring on a date to be determined. Please sign the online guestbook at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements in care of Kayser’s Chapel.