Eleanore 'Elli' Nelson
Elli Nelson passed April 25 an leaves behind a large and loving family. She loved small animals, good friends and time with family.
Eleanore Louise Boerjan was born June 19, 1950, to Germaine Madeline (DeMaegt) and Alphonse Boerjan in Marshall, Lion County, Minn.
In her younger years, she was a farm girl until her father settled in Blaine, Minn., and finished his career as a master mechanic. She graduated from Coon Rapids High School in 1968. She said her two bouts with cancer as a teenager had her thinking serious thoughts when she bumped into missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and joined in 1968. Later that year, she married Brad W. Nelson, who was working construction as a summer job while attending BYU. The couple were sealed the following year in the Salt Lake City temple of the above church.
Following Brad’s completion of studies at BYU, they moved to Grandview, Idaho, later Meridian and Nampa, Idaho, then settled in Middleton, Idaho, for the next 16 years. Her first son, Mitch, was born with Arthrogryposis. His doctors credited Elli as being the reason he accomplished so much despite his disability. The doctor relayed that Mitch told him he was treated the same as his siblings and had to try things by himself before getting help from Mom or other family members. The doctor went on that Mitch had gained an aptitude for figuring out how he can do things rather than like most, listing why they cannot.
From farm life, Elli developed a love for small animals, which Brad commented, “Explained why she put up with me for so long.”
She was an avid reader and developed her skill at Tole painting to giving lessons in that art. She also learned to do traditional oil paintings on canvas.
At Middleton, she was involved in the founding and later was president of the Middleton Quick Response Unit. (The QRU provided first responders to accident and injury scenes before the paramedic ambulance could reach the rural area.) She expanded her role in emergency medicine to training other EMTs. When her son Ryan was hit by a car, the EMT first on the scene was a person Elli had trained. (Ryan recovered nicely, after doing $600 damage to the car.)
In 1992 the family moved to Royal City, Washington where they presently reside. Elli was heavily involved with the Royal Slope volunteer ambulance, and as a fire chief commented, “Helped to shape our EMS program and made it one of the most successful in the county.”
She was also involved with the Moses Lake, Wash., Samaritan Ambulance, and was the head of the Education Department at Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake until her retirement in 2023.
Samaritan Healthcare was a major resource and training helper for the American Heart Association and the education department handled this for the hospital. At the time of her retirement, Elli was supervising some 400 CPR instructors over eastern Washington state. She served multiple terms as a State Faculty member of the AHA, and also as a member of the National Faculty. She served twelve years as a member of the Washington State Governor’s Steering Committee for pre-hospital emergency medicine.
She was preceded in death by her parents and older sister, Emma Boerjan.
She is survived by her younger sister, Audrey Maher (Mike), of Minnesota. Also, her husband of over 55 years, Brad W. Nelson of Royal City. Children and their families include Mitchell Nelson, of Riverton, Wyo. Lara Sue Watson (Mark), children Mark Thomas (Sophia) and Bradlee of Brentwood, Tenn. Daniel Brad Nelson (Mandy) of Ephrata, Wash. Children Ashton, Hannah Gracyce Crowther (Jackson) of Tennessee, Luke Oscar Nelson (Jayden) of Spokane, and Audrey JoElle Nelson, at Ephrata, Wash. Ryan Levi Nelson (Bethany) of Caldwell, Idaho. Children Johnathan Mauryce Nelson (Sierra Shea), children Mackenzie Lou, Athena Marie, Temperance McCoy and Dawson William, all of Caldwell. Levi Russell Nelson, of Tulsa, Okla. LeRoy Thomas, BradLee Alphonse, Joseph Groberg, Nikolas Larence, Eli Geramie, Hope Flora DeAnne, and Fayth Ruth Rachelle, all of Caldwell. Nikki Lou Reed, of Royal City, children Christian Alexander Reed, of Spokane, and Klair Maree Nikole Reed of Royal City.
After a number of scares, surgeries and treatments since her first cancer at age thirteen, she succumbed to cancer at the home of Dan and Mandy surrounded by family Thursday, April 25, 2024. Tears shed will be tears of gratitude for having this wonderful person in our lives for so long.
Services will be Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the Royal Camp chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (rural Royal City, WA) at 11 a.m. with a viewing from 9:30 a.m. until shortly before services, with interment to follow at the Royal City cemetery. The services will be available via Zoom. See https://bit.ly/ELLIMEMORIAL to observe the services remotely via Zoom.
Please leave your thoughts and memories for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.