Obituaries & Tributes

Opal Marie Nelson – July 1, 1922 – Jan. 15, 2020

Opal Marie Nelson – July 1, 1922 – Jan. 15, 2020

Opal Marie Nelson, 97, of Cottage Grove, Ore., passed away on Jan. 15, 2020.
She was born on July 1, 1922 in Huntington County, Ind. to parents Oliver P. and Martha M. (Mason) Land.
Opal graduated from Huntington High School in 1939. She married James B. Nelson on Feb. 29, 1944 in Santa Monica, Calif., in the Chapel of the Dawn. Opal was a Rosie the Riveter during WWII, working on the Douglas Aircraft and airplane construction.
She was loved and admired by many; she worked in nursing and was a realtor, businesswoman, wife, mother and homemaker. Opal loved dancing, traveling, entertaining, history and genealogy, music and people.
She was a longtime resident of Cottage Grove, and a member of the United Methodist Church, Barbershop Choir Support and Rosie the Riveters.
Opal is survived by daughters Anne Shepard (Steve) of Creswell, Ore.; Robin Masterson (Fred) of Redmond, Ore. and Dawn Nelson of Nikiski, Alaska; six grandchildren: Tricia Dawson, Sunny McGuire, Patrick McGuire, Eric Nelson, Cody Herman and Casey Herman; 13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Nelson and three sons: Mark B., Jon O., and J. Roger Nelson.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2020 at the United Methodist Church, 334 Washington Ave. in Cottage Grove, with a reception to directly follow the service at Cottage Grove Masonic Lodge.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to the South Lane Family Relief Nursery, PO Box 1207, Cottage Grove, OR 97424.
Arrangements in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel in Cottage Grove.

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