It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved Omie. Surrounded by family she gracefully took her last breath Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
The third of four children, Barbara was born June 6, 1951, to Dorothy (Pickett) and Leonard LaLonde, a birthday she shared with her mother and sister-in-law. She was a lifelong resident of Lewiston and grew up on Normal Hill in a two-bedroom house with her mother, sister and two brothers. Growing up was financially hard but love was abundant.
Her brother Eric had a friend, Patrick Nelson. When Dad saw her in her ruffled yellow bikini it was the beginning of a life together filled with love and laughter. At the young age of 16 and 18 they decided to marry. Grandma Dorothy gave her blessing if Mom finished high school. They married on Sept. 5, 1967. She took that year off from school and welcomed their daughter Gina, Feb. 26, 1968. In Omie style she kept her promise and graduated as Barbara Nelson, a wife and mother of one. Adam joined the family on June 1, 1973, and then there were four. She became a mom at a young age but never was there a doubt she was meant to be a mother.
Mom and Dad’s early years were filled with time spent with family and friends playing cards and going to the beach. Dad was young and a bit wild, but Omie did her best to keep him on the straight and narrow and keep us safe. Cooking at the beginning was not her forte — Dad ate a lot of cheese sandwiches, once even with glass. The mayo jar broke but she knew dad needed mayo so she scraped up what she could, and dad had a crunchy cheese sandwich. What any good wife/mother would do, she learned to cook and feed a lot of people with some really good food. Our childhood was full of happiness and love with camping, fishing, the coast, snow skiing, Disneyland, backyard BBQ’s with epic campfires, the best Christmases and The Annual Memorial Weekend Birthday bashes. Omie would be hustling around making sure everyone was taken care of and had a full beverage.
She worked at the family business, Nelson’s Fabric Tree, for 10 years until she felt it was time for a job that offered insurance for her family. She began working at Omark in 1979, retiring in 2016 from Vista Outdoors after 37 as a ballistic technician.
Her grandchildren were her world, Max, Sam and Olivia. When they were around no one else mattered. Her attention was 100% on them. Games, puzzles, books, playdough, movies, she didn’t care, she was with them and her heart was full.
Mom and Dad’s retirement dreams were cut short after a stroke in November 2017. Our new norm came with short-term memory loss and dementia, but she handled it with grace. There were tough days, but she held her humor until the bitter end. Mom could still put Dad in his place and fling a zinger at him. Often telling him, “You’re a strange little man.” She spent her days loving her animals, Maggie May, Gabby Cat and the newest addition Hal. Summers were her favorite time, and she loved sitting on the porch watching the birds, squirrels and of course the neighborhood.
Omie is survived by her husband of 57 years, Patrick Nelson; daughter Gina Dagelen (Joe Frost), son Adam Nelson, wife Jennifer; grandchildren Maxwell and Samuel Dagelen, Oliva Nelson and her one-of-a-kind big sister Susan LaLonde (Glenn Smick). She was preceded in death by her father, mother and bothers Eric and Bruce LaLonde.
Gingersnap cookies will never taste the same, but your laugh will forever be with us. You will never forget again. We love you.
There will be a memorial service at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at Malcom’s Brower-Wann Funeral Home, 1711 18th St., Lewiston. A gathering will follow immediately at Jollymore’s, 1516 Main St., Lewiston.
