Beverly Karen Nelson

Beverly Nelson, 91, of Alexandria passed away on Sunday, April 19.

Beverly was born on November 16, 1934, in Starbuck, MN to Alpha Caroline (Sodergren) Nelson and Emil William (Willie) Nelson. Bev grew up on a farm in rural Holmes City. Until eighth grade she attended a one-room schoolhouse, and her father took her by sleigh in the winter. She graduated from Alexandria Central High School in 1952.

Following graduation Bev worked as a receptionist and a switch board operator at the White Motor Co. in St. Paul. Bev was united in marriage to Allen Warren Nelson in 1955 in Holmes City and together they enjoyed 71 years of wedded merriment, occasionally interrupted by the hair pulling antics of their children Gary and Lori. In 1967, following residencies in Richfield and Burnsville, the couple relocated to Alexandria to be closer to their extended families.

Bev and her family enjoyed canoeing, camping trips, family gatherings, raising dogs and traveling, including biennial cross country road trips to the state of Washington to visit Cousin Kelly and her family.

In the 1970s Bev was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) that caused progressive vision loss. She attended the Minneapolis Society for the Blind to learn how to live with visual impairment, including how to read braille. Bev also attended the Leader Dogs for the Blind in Michigan where she learned lifelong skills for independent travel with the aid of profoundly intelligent canines. Enabled with a Leader Dog, Bev enjoyed the ability to navigate her surroundings with confidence. Three Leader Dogs, all golden retrievers, Shima, Buffy and Toby, were loving companions and guides for Bev over the years.

Educating the public about her blindness and her Leader Dogs was important to Bev and she spoke regularly to school groups and service organizations. She was a longtime member of the local visually impaired group. Bev was awarded the Lions Club Helen Keller Award and the Melvin Jones Fellow for Humanitarian Services citation for her endeavors.

Bev enjoyed reading her books on tape, knitting for charities, volunteering at First Lutheran Church, monthly bunco games with companions, visiting with her grandchildren, and her trips with Al and friends to Alaska and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. In her younger years Bev was a talented pianist and sketch artist.

Bev was preceded in death by her parents Willie and Alpha, her brother Eugene Nelson, and brothers and sisters in law.

Bev is survived by her husband, Al, children Gary (Carmelita) and Lori (John) Anderson, grandchildren Amy, Wade, Annie and Will; great-grandchildren Ava and Addison; nieces and nephews; and several dear friends.