Mell Nielsen

Mell Jarvis Whiting Nielsen, 1929- 2016

Mell Jarvis Whiting Nielsen passed away surrounded by family members on April 15,2016 at Timpanogos Regional Hospital. She was born on May 18, 1929 in Kirtland,New Mexico to Francis Marion and Susie Jarvis Whiting. She was the 9th child of her father and the 6th of her mother.

Right after giving birth to Mell her mother passed away leaving her father to care for her and the other children, the youngest five being under the age of 6. Because of being so overwhelmed by having so many young children and having to provide for them all, her father asked Susie's brother, William Jarvis, and his wife, Vesta, to raise little Mell as their own along with their only child, William Dayle Jarvis. Mell was able to keep intouch with her birth family and had close relationships with them all. She lived in Huntington and the Provo/Orem area and attended schools there as well as BY High School and Lincoln High School. She also attended Gila Community College in Arizona.

Mell married Max George Nielsen on October 21, 1955. They lived and raised their family of five children in Orem. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in many callings, her favorites being a Primary teacher and a Cub Scout Den Mother. She loved to garden and had a very green thumb. Later in life she created scrapbooks for her husband, each of her children and many others.

She is survived by her children: Vesta (Dennis) Knighton; William Craig Nielsen; Bradford (Deborah) Nielsen; Christopher Nielsen; George Nielsen; daughters-in-law Aline Nielsen and Irene Nielsen; 16 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren; and 1 great great grandchild. She is also survived by her sisters, Theora Shelley and Margaret Heaps.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, granddaughter Michelle Nielsen, grandson Terry Nielsen, great grandson Jamieson Nielsen, two brothers and five sisters.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff of Canyon Breeze Senior Living for their kindness and love shown to their mother over the last four years. The family also wishes to thank the ICU staff at Timpanogos Regional Hospital for making our mother’s final week more comfortable and peaceful.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 11 a.m. at Sundberg-Olpin Funeral Home, 495 South State Street, Orem, Utah. Family and friends may visit 9:30-1O:45 a.m. prior to the services. Interment will follow the funeral services in East Lawn Memorial Gardens.