Constance Kay Nelson-Goossen

Constance (Connie) Kay Nelson-Goossen, August 27th, 1941 - December 23th, 2019, of Maplewood, MN, formerly of Wells and Kiester, MN. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 at 1:00 PM at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells. Interment will be in Rosehill Cemetery, Wells. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is assisting the family. Connie was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota to George & Jean Nelson. She attended Wells-Easton High School, graduating in 1959. After school, Connie moved to the Twin Cities and worked for Avis. She met Gilbert James Shepard and they married in 1962. To this union, three children were born: John, Patricia, and Susan. They later divorced and Connie moved to Kiester, Minnesota to be near family. There she met Rodney Elvebak and they were married May 19th, 1972. With this marriage, Connie gained two step-sons: Ron and Dale. While living in Kiester, Connie was a leader for the Girl Scouts, a member of the Kiester American Legion Auxiliary, a chairperson for the DFL, a member of the Kiester Ambulance, and an owner and operator of Connie's Place Café. Connie was revered for her cooking and hospitality. She volunteered to assist the elderly in her free time and competed in a women's bowling league. It was her passion and joy to read books. After she and Rodney divorced, Connie went on the road to sell insurance for several years. During this time, she met John Goossen. They were married October 13th, 1990. Later in life, Connie decided to finally pursue her dream job of being a flight attendant. She was very successful, gaining several accolades from Mesaba airlines. After her retirement, Connie focused on taking care of her husband John. They enjoyed spending time with each other. They played cribbage and watched game shows, especially The Price Is Right, where they would challenge each other to see who could "win" the prizes and the big showcase. Connie was an animal lover and would enjoy going to shelters to visit (and often adopt) the animals. She loved bingo and met many great people playing it. Connie had a zest for life and lived it on her terms. She enjoyed being around her family, and took pride in the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. Connie is survived by her son John (Tonya) Shepard of Zimmerman, Minnesota; her two daughters: Patty (Rick Anderson) Meyer of Waconia, Minnesota, and Susan (Mark) Kelly of St. Paul, Minnesota; her step-son Dale (Charlotte) Elvebak (along with their children); her brother Fred (Pat) Nelson of Albert Lea, Minnesota; her granddaughters: Jessica (Paul) Gunderson, Whitney (Jason) Lorge of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and Brandee (John Bathke) Meyer of Wells, Minnesota; her grandsons: Sawyer Shepard of Chicago, Illinois, Atticus Kelly of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Harrison Shepard of Milaca, Minnesota (who currently resides in Italy where he is studying abroad); her great-grandson Reed Bathke of Wells, Minnesota; her aunt Mary Hollub of West Palm Beach, Florida; her nephews: John Nelson of St. Paul, Minnesota (along with his children Kayla and Ryan), Eric Nelson of Albert Lea, Minnesota, and Michael (Lauren) Nelson of Albert Lea, Minnesota (along with his children Cohen and Hank). She was preceded in death by her parents, her step-son Ron Elvebak (2000), her husband John (2008), and her son-in-law Gordy Meyer (2009). She was one of the rare ones, so effortlessly herself, and the world loved her for it. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends.