LaVilla "Lou" Nelson

LaVilla “Lou” Nelson, 82, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Thursday, March 14, 2013, at the Pioneer Senior Cottages in Fergus Falls.

She was born July 25, 1930, in Sverdrup Township of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, the daughter of William and Bertha (Albertson) Rieken. She grew up on the farm, attending country school, and then Battle Lake High School, graduating in 1948.

In January of 1951 she married Harold Nelson.

LaVilla started working as a teenager at a Battle Lake café. After moving to Fergus Falls, she worked as a document collator for Nelson Publishing, and when a young mother as a clerk at Sears. While at Sears she was promoted to teletype operator which she enjoyed until Sears closed in 1980. During this time she also worked as a waitress at the Elks Club. After leaving Sears, she began processing insurance claims for Lake Region Hospital until her retirement. During retirement she worked part-time at Kmart where taking care of the greenhouse flowers was her favorite task.

LaVilla loved taking care of animals and passed her compassion for animals down to her girls. She also enjoyed maintaining a landscape of colorful flowers in her gardens. LaVilla was an avid seamstress and also took pleasure in creating needlework projects.

Preceding her in death were her parents, and a brother, Willard Rieken.

Survivors include her children: Debbie (Dennis) Johnson of Bemidji, Cyndi (Tom) Johnson of Fergus Falls, and Rebecca Nelson of Fergus Falls; grandchildren: Kerry (Ben) Wilcox of Benson, Keith (Beth) Johnson of Bemidji, Jessica Johnson of Minneapolis, and Eric Johnson of Minneapolis; two great-grandchildren, Gwendolyn and Joseph Wilcox; her siblings: Elaine Fossan of Ashby, and Dale (Janice) Rieken of Fergus Falls; a sister-in-law, Ardis Rieken of Fergus Falls; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials are preferred to Otter Tail County Humane Society.

Visitation: One hour prior to the service at the funeral home
Service : 2 pm Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at Olson Funeral Home Chapel, Fergus Falls
Clergy: Chaplain Harry Olson
Interment: Knollwood Memorial Gardens, Fergus Falls
Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls