Helen C. Nelson, a lifelong resident of Osceola, died July 16, 2010, after an extended illness. She was 77.

She was living in Cambridge, Minn., at Carstens Harbour near her sister Ruth Steffend for the last year, since the closing of L.O. Simenstad Nursing Care Unit.

Helen was born on March 11, 1933, in Osceola and raised on a farm north of Scandia. She attended Goose Lake grade school and then graduated from Osceola High School in 1951. After attending school for Radiation Technology at the University of Minnesota she worked for many years at Ladd Memorial Hospital in Osceola retiring in1991 due to illness. Helen’s retirement party was held at the Indianhead Lodge in Balsam Lake.

Helen was good at making people laugh. She had many friends that she enjoyed so many good times with through the years. She loved Osceola and Scandia and will be remembered at a Memorial Service at 3 p.m. July 21 at Elim Lutheran Church in Scandia with Rev. Jillene Gallatin officiating. Organist will be Dennis Alveby and serving as soloist will be Don Peterson. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at church on Wednesday. Interment will take place next to her parents following the service at Elim Lutheran Cemetery.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Peter E. and Alice E. (Olson) Nelson; brother, Wendell Nelson; sister, Evelyn Westergren and special niece, Karen Chopp.

She is survived by her sister, Ruth Steffend of Cambridge; nieces, Jana Westergren of Shoreview and Joan (Joe) Steffend-Brandmeier of Edina. She is also survived by grand nieces and nephews, many friends and extended family.

Memorials are preferred to Elim Lutheran Church in Scandia.

 Arrangements by the Grandstrand Funeral Home in Osceola.