Jean Elise Newman Nelson

Jean Elise Newman Nelson

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May 22, 1935 ~ October 22, 2020

“Together Again”

Jean Nelson passed away October 22, 2020 in Ogden, Utah.

Jean Elsie Newman was born May 22, 1935 to Charles E. and Edith Newman in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

She was born deaf, however it was not until later that she could not hear as her brother Bob tells the story of her grandfather having her listen to the ticking of his pocket watch and not hearing it. At a very young age of about five she began attending the Saskatchewan deaf school in Saskatoon about 160 miles northwest of her home in Regina.

She not only attended school there, but also lived there as it was also a boarding school. It was during her time at school that she was quite the athlete and was on the basketball team. She also enjoyed ice skating and ice hockey, but she would later recall that the boys would not let her play in their hockey games.

After graduating from the deaf school she would work as clerk/typist in Regina. It was at this new job that she was introduced to some people who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was invited to some church activities and was taught by several missionaries over time and was baptized into the church on October 2, 1955.

She moved to Utah in October 1957. She got a job at the Church Office where she worked for about two and a half years.

The story goes that she saw her future husband at a basketball game and is to have said that is the man she would marry even though at the time she had not met him yet.

She married Keith C Nelson on July 30, 1960 at the deaf ward in Salt Lake City and was later sealed in the Logan Temple on April 12, 1965.

She would live in Salt Lake City for a short time and then moved to Ogden in an apartment downtown and after putting down $50 on a mortgage moved into a new home in Washington Terrace in 1963 where she lived until moving to Legacy House in early 2020.

She worked at the IRS in the mid-1970s and later would work in personnel at Hill Air Force Base where she worked many years until her retirement.

During retirement she and her husband would travel around the states quite a bit as magnets of states visited covered the side of her fridge would indicate. She also enjoyed the cruises she went on.

She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held several positions including Relief Society president and Sunday School teacher. She enjoyed friends made a church.

She had three children, Leila (Jeff) Stephens, Bert, and Dean, four grandchildren, Brett (Natalie) Stephens, Jordan (Melissa) Stephens, Lacey (Ty) McFarland, Stirling (Kaytlyn) Stephens and nine great-grandchildren, Holland, Reddik, Grant, Fern, Walker, Wells, Carter, Miles and Winston.

She loved all her family and was proud of every one of them. We loved Mom, but she loved us first.

Family graveside services will be held at Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd.

The family requests that everyone please wear a mask and obey the current social distancing guidelines.

Special thanks to the staff at Legacy House where Jean lived the last few months of her life.

Condolences may be shared at: www.lindquistmortuary.com.