Elinor Louise Nelson

Elinor Louise Nelson, age 78, of Readstown, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on February 13th at 8:00 PM in the presence of her children. She was born to the late William and Katherine (Armoto) Bates Cooper. She graduated High School from De Soto, WI and then went on to attend CNA classes later in life at Southwest Technical College in Fennimore, WI. She farmed on the family farm and was a farmer’s wife until her husband, Lawrence Nelson SR passed away in 1983, she then went on to spend the majority of her life doing what she loved as a CNA. She was best known for the deep love she had for her friends and family, she loved to go gambling just like her mother, although she played it safe on the penny machines. Her days after retiring from being a CNA were spent amongst her family, playing cards (and always counting her cards wrong), and going on spur of the moment shopping trips with her lifelong best friend, Bonnie Hirschfield. The love she had for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren was bottomless; she never missed a sporting event, birthday, concert, you name it; she was always cheering and yelling the hardest. Elinor Nelson is survived by her five children: John Nelson (Richard Rickey) and his daughter, Francis Nelson and 3 stepchildren; Lawrence Wesley Nelson Jr (Deb Harris) his four sons: Wesley (Anita) Nelson, Mike (Joanna) Nelson, Jesse (Sara) Nelson, and Jake Nelson; Carolyn Rose Swiggum (Doug Abbey) and her 4 children: Larry (Megan) Swiggum, Bryant Swiggum, Austin (Kayla) Abbey, and Krissy Abbey; Julie Rose (Chris) Simon and her three daughters: Brianna Goodman (Bruce Downing), Ashley (Collin) Wachter, and Cassi Simon; William (Christina) Nelson and his three daughters: Nina Hayes, Aryah Nelson, and Sofia Nelson; 4 stepchildren: Larry, Bobby, Jean, and Linda Nelson; and a total of 34 great-grandchildren; along with her siblings: Leslie Bates, Lorraine (Bob) Wolfe, Marilyn (Bob) Pink, Marlene Nelson, Kay (Bob) Wertzel, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents William and Katherine Bates and Loren Cooper; her husband, Lawrence Nelson SR; her brother, Bill (Mary) Bates; sister, Dorothy (Don) Olson; baby sister, Anetta; brothers-in-law, Bill Olson and Bob Nelson; sister-in-law, Ann Bates; and her two sons-in-law, Danny Swiggum and Wayne Tuchalski. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Gays Mills Community Center (16381 WI-131, Gays Mills WI, 54631) on March 19th from 12PM-4PM, please join us to share your memories, experiences and stories of Elinor. Vosseteig Funeral Home & Crematory in Gays Mills is serving Elinor's family. 325 Sunset Ridge Avenue Gays Mills, WI 54631 (608) 735-2100