Catherine Nelson

September 2, 1930 – February 26, 2023

Catherine (Kitty) Nelson, 92, went to be with her Lord and Savior surrounded by family on Feb. 26, 2023, a beautiful sunny afternoon, at Samaritan Hospital.

Catherine was born in Williston, North Dakota on Sept. 2, 1930. She was the second of six children born to Leslie and Harriet Holland. The family learned to appreciate the sunsets, birds, and flowers of nature. The children loved to roam and climb the hills and have family picnics watching the sunset on the hillside of their family coal mine. She attended school in Williston and graduated from Williston High School.

Catherine met Edward Nelson just before her 16th birthday at the ice cream shop she worked at. She married her sweetheart in the late summer of 1948, nearly 75 years ago. After marrying, Catherine worked for Willard Webster, an architect /engineer in Williston, until she and Ed and their daughter moved out west, "stopping" in Moses Lake in 1954. Moses Lake became their hometown, and they added two more children to the family. After the children were all in school, Catherine went back to part-time work for a local architect, Harvey Vernier. Later, as the children were older, she took a full-time job at Irrigation Rental, Inc. as bookkeeper/office manager.

During her working years, she took the Dale Carnegie class and a two-year course in the Bethel Bible Series, which she then taught for several years at Immanuel Lutheran Church. She cherished her Bethel teaching years. As she grew in her faith in her Lord, she became our faithful family prayer warrior. She enjoyed the association with those she taught as she was a "people person "and had many wonderful friends in her lifetime.

After retiring, both Ed and Kitty enjoyed two years in volunteering positions at Holden Village in the Cascade Mountains above Lake Chelan. Catherine worked as a bookkeeper while Ed worked as utilities supervisor. Following Holden Village, they enjoyed traveling together in Alaska and throughout other states. Catherine was a devoted wife, mother and grandma. She loved to work in her yard, enjoying her love of flowers, raising raspberries and strawberries, along with other berries, and canning the fruits from their trees. She loved to sew and made both daughters' wedding dresses with tender loving care.

Catherine is preceded in death by her parents Leslie and Harriet Holland, brothers George and Lyle Holland, grandson, Jeremy Chandler and two great-grandchildren Kennedy Castro and Matthew Bishop. She is survived by her loving husband, Edward Nelson; daughters Debbie Chandler (Gary) of Moses Lake and Cheryl Bishop (Steve) of Wenatchee; son Jerome Nelson (Pam Larson) of Poulsbo; six grandchildren Cathy Bishop Salcido (Malachi), Lisa Chandler Castro (Amador), Nathan Bishop (Jenni), Joy Bishop Churchill, Joey Nelson and Andy Nelson (Victoria) and Angela Chandler (Jeremy); 21 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are Catherine’s sisters, Beatrice Bermel (Forrest), Linda Harmon (Dale) and Nancy Beard (Les) and two sisters-in-law Barbara Holland (George) and Sharon Holland (Lyle).

Celebration of Life for Catherine will be held on Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. at the family home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 19031 33rd Ave. W., Ste 301, Lynnwood, WA 98036 in memory of Catherine (Kitty) Nelson, or to a charity of your choice.