LAUREL DURKEE NELSON

1955 - 2025

Laurel Durkee Nelson passed away on Sunday, Sept. 28, from complications following surgery. She was 69.
She was born Dec. 1, 1955, to Paul and Mable Durkee in Canby, a small farming community in southwestern Minnesota. She grew up on the family ranch in Livermore Valley, at the base of the Altamont Pass. In 1979, she married Emery Nelson Jr., and they made their home in Tuolumne County, where they raised two sons.
Laurel earned her LVN degree from Columbia College and began her career at Sonora Community Hospital, rising to a leadership role. In 1995, Laurel and Karla Wright co-founded Country Lane Estates in Columbia, a care home known for its warmth and compassion. For 14 years, they cared for residents with dignity and grace, bringing comfort to their families.
In 2009, Laurel began what she fondly called "an adventure of a lifetime" when she and her husband, Dale Anderson, purchased the Miner's Grubstake Restaurant and Saloon in Atlantic City, Wyoming, on the Oregon Trail. Working side by side, they turned it into a welcoming gathering place for locals and travelers. Earlier this year, they sold the business and retired, closing that chapter of their adventure together. Dale and her younger son, Jacob, with his wife, Cathy, continue to make Atlantic City their home, carrying forward Laurel's legacy of kindness and strength.
She is survived by her husband, Dale Anderson; sons Emery Nelson III, of Sonora (Tessa), and Jacob Nelson (Cathy), of Atlantic City; siblings Ruth Durkee (Kelli) of Dallas, Texas, Jim Durkee (Sandra), of Pleasanton, Joe Durkee (Rosie), of Mountain House, California, and Donny Durkee, of Copperopolis, California; along with eight nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her first husband, Emery Nelson Jr.
Laurel's laughter and brightness will be deeply missed. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Indigeny Reserve in Sonora. All are welcome.