Florene H. Nielsen

Funeral Services fro Florene will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity-Bergen Lutheran Church, Starkweather, ND with Reverend Robert Buechler officiating.  Burial will be in the Trinity-Bergen Lutheran Cemetery, rural Starkweather. 

Florene H Nielsen was born September 3, 1930 at Egeland, ND the daughter of Johann and Bertha (Schoenborn) Schumacher.

Florene grew up on a farm in the Egeland area and attended school there as well. After graduating as the valedictorian of her high school class, she worked at home on the farm and for area businesses. In the coming years she continued to work various jobs in Cando and Devils Lake. She also spent a winter working in Portland, Oregon along with two of her sisters. While working at a grocery store in Devils Lake she met the man she would marry and spend the bulk of her life with.

Florene and Harold W Nielsen were united in marriage on October 7^th 1955 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Egeland ND. They made their home on the Nielsen home farm north of Starkweather. They would spend the next 58 plus years side by side until Harold’s death on January 12, 2014.

From the very beginning she was an active partner helping Harold with milking cows or helping bring in the harvest. Florene was quite proud of the fact that she could drive a grain truck or operate a combine right along with anybody. She continued doing these tasks as long as she was needed and then in the later years provided a valuable support role, preparing food and furnishing rides to the next field. She also enjoyed working in her garden and absolutely loved mowing her grass. Even well after moving to Devils Lake in 2009 she longed to be back at the farm on her riding mower.

Florene was a member of Trinity Bergen Lutheran Church in Starkweather. She was an active participant in various church women’s groups and was always there to help with working at funerals and other church functions. In the earlier years when her children were young, she also taught Sunday School. The activity she enjoyed probably the most in her retirement years was being a member of the Trinity Bergen Quilters group. She truly enjoyed the fellowship and socializing with all of the other ladies in this group, and was proud of the beautiful gifts that they produced.

One of the other recreational pass times that Florene enjoyed was fishing, especially ice fishing. This was another activity that she often fondly reminisced about in her later years after she was no longer able to do it. She also enjoyed many Sunday afternoon pinochle games with her siblings over the years.

Florene is survived by two daughters Judy (Walter) Upham of Hampstead, NC and Terri Clendenning of Orangevale, CA; two sons Keith (Laura) and Steven (Dawn) both of Starkweather. Seven grandchildren Sarah Upham; Karolyn Upham; Rachel Upham (John Cardona); Morgan Clendenning (Maitiu Morton); Douglas (Breann) Nielsen; Rebecca Nielsen (Ryan Clark); Kristina (Alex) Hickel. Two great-grandchildren Garrison Hickel and Mads Nielsen. Four sisters Rena Clouse; Isabelle Morlock; Ella Timian; Irma Morlock and one brother Harvey (Mary) Schumacher.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother Alvin Schumacher; and three sisters Alvina Martinson; Lenora Helgeson; and Edna Andrick; and one son-in-law Stephen Clendenning.

Due to the on-going pandemic, services and burial is tentatively planned for some time in June.