Obituary of Helen Nelson

Helen Nelson passed away on December 29, 2022 in Boulder, CO after a very short illness with family by her side. Helen was born February 15, 1928, the fourth of thirteen children of George Gawreluk and Mary Dolinski Gawreluk in Baudette, MN. Her father George emigrated from Ukraine to Canada and then to the United States. Her mother Mary’s family also emigrated from Ukraine to Canada.

Helen enjoyed playing volleyball and was on a women’s team in Duluth for many years. She found her true passion in golf during the sixties. Once she learned how to play she spent all of her free time on the golf course. And she never let you forget about her hole-in-one! She always loved the water as she was an aquarius. Besides growing up on the Winter Road River she could see Lake Superior from her house in Duluth, and had lived on a canal in her winter home of Punta Gorda, FL.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband Roger B. Nelson, her parents, her father and mother-in-law Nels and Esther Nelson, siblings Dora Novacek, Bill Gawreluk, Katy Scaia, Harry Gawreluk, Annette Rubin, Betsy Wilson and Theresa Brown. She is survived by her siblings Nick Gawreluk, Lena Erickson, Pete Gawreluk, Tom Gawreluk and Romon Gawreluk. Helen always regretted not being able to get on an airplane to attend the funerals of her siblings, though she was always with them on those days in spirit.

Helen leaves behind her children Gerald Nelson of Westminster, CO and Duluth, MN; Richard Nelson (Deborah Sievers) of St. George, UT and Hailey, ID; Janet Christensen (Tore) of Boulder, CO; as well as her grandchildren Christopher Nelson (Christy) of Powder Springs, GA; Matthew Pursi of Duluth, MN; Christiania Guzzetta (Philip) of Dallas, TX and Brita Christensen of Boulder, CO; and her great grandchildren Marley Nelson of Powder Springs, GA and Maren and Wesley Guzzetta of Dallas, TX.

We are having a celebration of Helen on Saturday, July 15, 2023 in the First Memorial Funeral Chapel at the Cremation Society on 4100 Grand Avenue in Duluth, MN at 3 pm, with 2 pm visitation. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to either your local Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) or food bank in Helen’s memory.