Frances "Fran" Nelson

Frances (Krueger) Nelson, 93, long-time resident of Bozeman, passed away peacefully on February 3, 2016 at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Frances was born on July 27, 1922 to Roy and Ethel Krueger, in her grandparents’ home in Arlington, South Dakota. She was raised in Brookings, South Dakota and enjoyed many music, church, and athletic activities while attending elementary and high school. Following graduation from Brookings High School she attended South Dakota State College in Brookings, graduating in 1944 with a Bachelor’s degree in General Science.

While attending South Dakota State, Frances met the love of her life, Lawrence (Larry) Nelson. On June 4, 1944, they were married in Great Bend, Kansas, where Larry was stationed with the Army Air Corps for B-29 navigator training. They lived in Great Bend and Kearney Nebraska while Larry completed his training. Following Larry’s World War II service in the Pacific, they moved to Ames, Iowa where Larry completed his college education.

From 1947 to 1950 Larry and Fran lived in Berkeley, California while Larry attended seminary. Following graduation Larry served churches in Honey Creek, Wisconsin and Hamilton, Montana. It was during this time that their two sons, Mike and Dan, were born. The family moved to Bozeman in 1959 where Larry served as minister for First Baptist Church. During Larry’s long tenure in the ministry, Fran worked tirelessly behind the scenes, supporting Larry’s work as well as the churches he served. Her efforts were often unacknowledged but were vitally important.

Following Larry’s retirement in 1984, Fran enjoyed traveling with Larry, visiting family and friends all over the country. Fran also increased her volunteer work, working for many years in the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital gift shop. She greatly enjoyed knitting baby caps for the newborns that arrived at Bozeman Deaconess, and supplied more than 200 caps over the years. She also enjoyed singing with the Bozeman TAMS group for many years after retirement.

Fran was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Larry; her brother Dwight Krueger; and her son Mike. Fran is survived by her son, Dan (Rebecca) of Ogden Utah; grandsons Matthew and Mark of Wyoming; and several nieces and nephews. She especially wanted to acknowledge her surviving twin-sister cousins, Florence McDaniel of Brookings, SD and Florene Prunty of Broomfield, CO, who were like sisters to her while growing up in South Dakota.

The family would like to thank Pat Newby, the caregivers at Bozeman Lodge, First Choice Home Health (especially Stephanie), and the palliative care and spiritual care teams at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Memorials may be made in Fran’s name to the Bozeman Health Foundation (memo line: Hospice), 931 Highland Blvd, Ste. 3200, Bozeman, MT 59715, National Public Radio, or a charity of your choice.

A memorial service will be held later in April.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.dahlcares.com.