Barbara Jane Nelson

1930 - 2021

BARBARA JANE HEMINGWAY NELSON
May 11, 1930 - May 7, 2021

On May 7, 2021, Barbara Jane Hemingway Nelson passed away, just a few days shy of her 91st birthday. Barbara was the youngest of six children born to Esther Eugenia Downie and Franklin George Hemingway on Mother's Day, May 11, 1930 in Bakersfield, California. Having five sons, Esther expressed hesitancy during her pregnancy about having another boy, but was blessed with her daughter, Barbara.

Barbara lived through numerous historic world events including the Great Depression, World War II, and a global pandemic. As she was walking to school one day during World War II, she noticed there was no one else on the street. A woman saw her and yelled that she needed to go back home because of the threat of an air strike. As a young child, her father Franklin was severely injured in an accident and later died in 1944, resulting in economic hardship for her family. Barbara recalled being evicted from her home as a child and on occasion going to bed hungry because of the challenging circumstances she faced while growing up. In a time that lacked disability benefits, her mother, Esther, was forced to find employment outside the home and ultimately held a variety of jobs to provide for her family. However, of all the events of Barbara's life, she stated that she had never experienced anything like the global COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 20, 1949 Barbara married Reid Pierce Nelson in the Salt Lake City temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After living in Idaho for four years while Reid earned his Master's degree, they returned to her home of Bakersfield, California and raised three sons and three daughters. While Reid worked in the oil industry, Barbara was the caretaker of the family pets, livestock, and livestock that became pets. As a family, they raised many animals but Barbara became particularly attached to a sheep whom she named "Darling Boy." Although they initially planned to raise the sheep for food, Barbara became so attached to Darling Boy that he forever remained a family pet.

Barbara and Reid lived a humble life, but their life reflected their faith in Jesus Christ and devotion to God. She served faithfully in numerous volunteer positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she made lifelong friends serving in her Stake Primary Presidency, the leadership for her church's organization for children and families. Beyond her legacy of service, she was a dedicated Jeopardy enthusiast with an expansive knowledge of a broad variety of topics and was supremely talented at crafting hand painted china, for which she won countless awards at the Kern County Fair.

Barbara is preceded in death by her parents and husband, as well as her brothers: Franklin C. Jr., K. Paul, Robert D., Wayne L., and Le Roy E. Hemingway. She is survived by her six children: James Nelson, Maureene Plotner, Leroy Nelson (Sherri), Tammi Woodhouse (Charles), Ted Nelson (Holly), and Barbara Meyers (David), and a beloved sister-in-law, Neva Leavitt Hemingway. Barbara and Reid will forever be adored by their 16 grandchildren: Julia Herzog, Samantha Stollberg, Matthew Plotner, Douglas Nelson, Steven Nelson, Kimberly Nelson, Allison Nelson, Megan Needham, Melissa Judd, Katherine Palacios, John Woodhouse, Thomas Nelson, David Meyers, James Meyers, Thomas Meyers, and Robert Meyers, as well as their great grandchildren: Emeline, Rhett, Claudia, and Baylee Herzog; Andrew (AJ) and Jack Stollberg; Hannah and Ethan Plotner; Jacob and Cameron Nelson; Matthew and Peter Needham; Olivia Judd; Calia Palacios; Nolan, Audrey, Emma, and Madeline Meyers.

God be with you til we meet again. We love you 50 million.