The Finish Line (Wed, 13 Apr, 2011)

Mom died this afternoon at 3:15PM. Bill and Juanita and I were all with her. She was able to stay here in her cabin on the lake right up to the very end, exactly as she had wanted.

Being the efficient pragmatist that she was, she wrote her own obituary several years ago. It has been several months since she had the strength to be able to make it up the stairs here in her cabin to the upstairs bedroom, but apparently the last time she was up there, she planned ahead and left her obituary on her typewriter. Here it is, mom's life described in her own words (I filled in the blank she left for her date of death):

Florence was born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1925. Her family traveled to California in 1926, eventually residing in Burbank. Florence attended school there and graduated from Burbank High School. She enrolled in the U.S. Cadet Nursing program, and attended USC and Los Angeles School of Nursing. Her final six months of nursing school were spent on affiliation with the Indian Service at the Pine Ridge Indian Hospital in South Dakota. She completed her training and graduated in 1947, going on to pass her California State Boards to become a Registered Nurse the same year. At the age of 23, she came to Klamath Falls to assume full charge of the surgery in the old Hillside Hospital. She married Dr. Arthur M. Compton, and eventually quit nursing to stay at home and raise her four wonderful children. Divorcing in 1964, she reactivated her nursing license and resumed nursing in the Emergency Room at Klamath Valley Hospital. When the new Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital opened (now renamed Sky Lakes Medical Center), she transferred along with all personnel from the old hospital, and continued working in surgery. In 1969, she married Raymond G. Nelson, the Purchasing Manager and acting Administrator of the hospital. Together Florence and Ray shared in raising her four children and his five. Eventually Florence was employed by Dr. Gerald Nicholson as his office nurse until he moved to Grants Pass. Subsequently Florence was employed by Dr. E.E. Howard for eleven years until her retirement in 1985. The Nelsons then spent many joyous times traveling in their fifth wheel in the U.S. and Canada. From 1986 to 2002 they alternated between their cabin at Rocky Point and their residence in Brookings, where they enjoyed fishing off the Oregon coast. They also continued traveling, visiting much of the east coast and the southwest until Ray’s health began to fail. Florence was able to keep Ray with her until his passing on May 23rd, 2008. God gave them the blessing of a happy marriage of almost 40 years. Florence passed away on April 13th, 2011. She was preceded by her beloved husband Ray as well as her parents and her brother and sister. Florence is survived by her children and a multitude of friends. Remembrances may be sent to the Klamath Animal Shelter.

On behalf of my mom as well as the rest of our family, I want to say THANK YOU to the network of wonderful people who have loved her and supported her all along. We are so immensely grateful to all of you.