Donna Nielson

Donna Esther Packard Brown Nielson, 88, passed away peacefully at her home after suffering a severe decline from bone marrow cancer. She is survived by her husband, retired U.S. Congressman Howard C. Nielson, six of her seven children, 35 grandchildren, and 97 great grandchildren. One daughter preceded her in death. Donna was born June 24, 1927, to Forrest and Esther Packard, number eight of seventeen children. Donna worked on their farm in Meridian, Idaho, until she met Kenneth H. Brown, a Lieutenant in the Air Corps and son of the Boise Stake president. The couple married on November 27, 1944, in the Salt Lake Temple. After the war, Kenneth attended dental school at the University of Oregon. Following graduation, the family settled in Meridian, Idaho, and were blessed with five daughters in seven years. In 1954 the family moved to Pendleton, Oregon, where Kenneth served in the bishopric, Donna was Young Women's president, and their first son was born. After the death of Donna's mother, the family moved to Newport Beach, California, where another son was added to the family. But it wasn't until they were in Kernville, California , and Mapleton, Utah, that Donna and Kenneth began serving with international dental service work, both in Central America and in Israel. Eventually they would live on eight different kibbutzim and work in three Israeli hospitals. They served temple missions in Bogota, Columbia, and Zollikofen, Switzerland, and were ordinance workers in nine temples world wide. By the end of her life, Donna had visited or served in over 110 different countries. After fifty-eight years of marriage, a tour van accident in Guatemala killed Kenneth and left Donna seriously injured. About a year after the accident, she met and married Howard C. Nielson who had gone into the U.S. Congress the same year as her brother Ron Packard. Together Donna and Howard enjoyed eleven wonderful years, travelled widely, and went on several family cruises. Donna was always the life of the party. She sang, played the piano and organ, and directed countless choral groups throughout a lifetime of music. She is survived by her daughters, Carla Gridley Weston and her husband Les, Marnae Wilson and her husband Bruce, Donella Bushman and her husband Joe, and Sheryl Nixon and her husband Mark; also her sons, Keith Brown and his wife Lisa, and Brent Brown and his wife Mona; as well as her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her daughter Julia Saxton died in 2011. Donna lived a life full of service and endless activity. She will be greatly missed by her many friends and loved ones. Funeral services will be held at Thursday, December 17, 2015, at 11:00 at the Orem Stake Center, 80 South 280 East in Orem. There will be a viewing Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm at Sundberg-Olpin Funeral Home, 495 South State St., Orem, Utah, a second viewing will take place just prior to the funeral services on Wednesday at the stake center. A graveside service will be held at Alpine Cemetery in Alpine, Utah. All friends and family are welcome.

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