Grace Nesheim

Grace Nesheim, age 91, of Decorah, IA, died on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon, IA. Funeral Services will be at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, 1725 Washington Prairie Rd., rural Decorah with Rev. Jennifer Edinger presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Monday, September 18, 2023, at the Helms Funeral Home, 306 E. Water Street in Decorah and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service on Tuesday at the church. Grace Pearl (Peterson) Nesheim was born on November 3, 1931, the daughter of Selmer and Stella (Tangen) Peterson in rural Winneshiek County. She was baptized and confirmed at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church. She attended country school through the 8th grade and Decorah High School briefly. Her wish was to become a teacher, but she had to return to the farm to help with family. She was united in marriage to Walter Nesheim on October 7, 1956, at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church. Together they raised three children Susan, Linda and Nils. Grace worked at Taylor Hardware, Anthony’s department store and Walmart. Almost all of her time was spent in the fabric and craft department, which she enjoyed most of all. Grace was active in the BPW (Business Professional Women) organization and participated in many church related activities. She retired in 2008 at age 77. Grace loved sewing, quilting, crafting and embroidery. She also enjoyed cooking for others and baking, especially Norwegian treats like lefse, rømmegrøt and krumkake. She was known for always having homemade chocolate chip cookies on-hand for anyone stopping by. She loved plants and flowers, lilacs in the spring and mums in the fall. Grace was a caring and compassionate listener with a unique sense of humor. Her grandsons were very important to her, and she loved spoiling them whenever possible. She loved spending time with family and friends, celebrating the holidays and being a good neighbor. In the last couple of years, she enjoyed weekend visits with family and friends at her home in Decorah. Grace is survived by her children: Susan Nesheim, Minneapolis, MN; Linda Nesheim, Minneapolis, MN; and Nils (Shelly) Nesheim, Johnston, IA. Two grandsons: Mitchell and Marshall Nesheim. One sister: Arla Ihde, Decorah, IA. Three sisters-in-law: Evelyn Peterson, Decorah, IA; Marilyn Peterson, Decorah, IA; and Daune Nesheim, Manly, IA. Many nieces and nephews; great nieces and nephews; and great-great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her grandparents and her parents: Selmer A. and Stella I. Peterson. Her husband: Walter Nesheim. Brothers: James Peterson, Curt Peterson, and Lester Peterson. Sister: Ruth Sheldon. Brothers-in-law: Donald Ihde, Roy Nesheim, Kenneth Nesheim, Howard Nesheim, Norvel Sheldon and Daryl Wenthold. Sisters-in-law: Arla (Yarwood) Nesheim and Adelle (Amundson) Nesheim. Nieces: Dawn (Peterson) Patino, Julie (Nesheim) Mullenberg, Laurie (Nesheim) Hathaway, and Sherry (Nesheim) Palmer. Nephew: Steven Wenthold. Great-nephew: Andrew Ress. Special thanks to the staff at Good Sam’s nursing home in Waukon for their care and compassion for Grace. Thanks to Kathy Petersburg, ARNP, for her many thoughtful conversations with Grace over the last 2 years. Thank you to WinnMed Hospice. And, to all of those of you who shared a cup of coffee with Grace, or made sure she had another cup, thank you - you're a good Norwegian. We want to thank the Mary Circle and the Martha Circle for serving today’s lunch. We also wish to thank them, Pastor Jenny and members of Washington Prairie for their fellowship with Grace over the years.