Nancy R. Solemsaas

A Celebration of Life for Nancy Solemsaas will be held on Monday, September 11th at 7:00 pm with a visitation beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris, Minnesota. Reverend Emmy Swedlund will be officiating.  Nancy has been cremated and will be buried in Mohall, North Dakota at a later date.

Nancy Rae (Brown) Solemsaas was born September 7, 1936, in Dickinson, North Dakota to Randolph and Norma (Hoel) Brown. The family lived in many communities due to her father’s occupation, settling in Westhope, North Dakota.  Nancy graduated from Westhope High School in 1954.

Nancy met Marlen Solemsaas at a dance in Antler, North Dakota. They married in Sidney, Montana on July 2, 1955, and recently celebrated 68 years of marriage.

Nancy and family lived in 32 different communities throughout the United States, moving for Marlen’s job. When Marlen retired, they relocated to Glenwood, Minnesota, where Marlen still resides. She was a stay-at-home mom, a great cook, and a gardener with a gorgeous rose garden in Sidney. She enjoyed bowling, was an avid reader, and cherished time spent with her family, especially children and grandchildren.  

Nancy, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away in her sleep while in rehab for a hip fracture, on Thursday, August 24, 2023. She was 86 years old.

Nancy was the last of her family. She was preceded in death by her parents: Randolph and Norma Brown; siblings: Mary Fraser, James Brown, and Kathryn DuQuesnay; her in-laws, Ole and Ruby Solemsaas; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Alfred Solemsaas, Layne and Hazel Solemsaas, and Darrell and Joann Henry. 

She is survived by her husband, Marlen; three children: Robin, Scott (Nadine), and Matthew (Angela); grandchildren: Erin (Jared), Brian (Roxanne), Brandon (Trisha), Annika, Abby Jo, Nicholas, Abigail (Forrest) and Andrew; and two great-grandsons: Brooks and Bodee. She is also survived by many brothers and sisters; in- laws; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Nancy will be remembered for her kind and compassionate nature and her love for her family. She will be greatly missed by those who knew her.