Gracelyn Rae Nelson |
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Linn Grove, Iowa. Visitation will be on Monday, December 14, 2009 from 6-8:00 p.m. at the Sliefert Funeral Home in Sioux Rapids. Burial will be in the Barnes Township Cemetery in Linn Grove. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Sioux Rapids is in charge of the arrangements. Gracelyn Rae Nelson was born on November 10, 2009 at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake, Iowa to Aaron and Tanya (Mitchell) Nelson of Linn Grove, Iowa. She became a baptized child of God at the hospital in Storm Lake shortly after birth. After Gracelyn was stabilized, she was flown to Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska where she would receive care for the rest of her time on earth. Gracelyn felt the love of those around her as well as the prayerful support of many people. She never went a day without a parent, grandmother, or aunt by her bedside. She responded very well to music, prayer, and being read to. She enjoyed being held for hours whenever her condition allowed it. Even though Gracelyn’s time on earth was not as long as most, she impacted the lives of many people. She amazed her caregivers by battling many medical challenges with unbelievable resiliency. She touched the hearts of her parents and family as they could feel her reciprocate their love even without words. Gracelyn’s story touched the hearts of hundreds of friends, neighbors, and strangers alike through word of mouth and through her CarePages website documenting her battle. Gracelyn taught those around her how to love people in a new way. Through her inner and outer beauty, she taught her family how to see people as a beloved child of God, rather than seeing any imperfections or challenges in that person’s life. Gracelyn was proof of the power of prayer, as her life was sustained and lives around her were touched. She taught us all that life is precious and fragile, and that every single day is a blessed gift from God that should not be taken for granted. In such a short time, Gracelyn touched hundreds of lives in innumerable ways, and the impact of her life’s story will live on in the hearts of many people. Left to cherish Gracelyn’s memory are her parents, Aaron and Tanya; brother Andrew, grandmother Nancy Nelson, all of Linn Grove; grandparents Anthony and Holly Mitchell, of Moravian Falls, NC; great-grandmothers Vivian Rock, of Linn Grove; Mardell Mitchell, of Grangeville, ID, Beverly Mitchell, of Elk River, ID; Kay Taylor, of Lakeview, ID. Also her aunt, Anna Nelson, of Overland Park, KS; aunt and uncle Travis and Nicole Brazill and cousin Nathan, of Olympia, WA; and uncle Matthew Mitchell, of Moravian Falls, NC.; as well as many great-uncles, great-aunts, extended family and friends of the family. Gracelyn was preceded in death by her grandfather, Richard Nelson. Gracelyn’s blessed memory will live on in our hearts. May she enjoy running and dancing in heavenly fields of daisies as we await the day we will be reunited in heaven.
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Gracelyn Rae Nelson, the one month old daughter of Aaron and Tanya Nelson of Linn Grove, Iowa, passed away Thursday, December 10, 2009 at the Children's Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska.