Marianna Nelsen Obituary

Marianna "Mary" (Alexander) Nelsen, age 94, passed away peacefully at The Neighborhoods at Brookview, in Brookings, SD, on July 7th, 2025. A graveside service will be held at a later date at Lakeville Grove Cemetery in Lakeville, MN.
Mary was born on July 21st, 1930, in Thompson, Iowa, the daughter of Felix and Mary "Betty" (Scott) Alexander.
Mary began elementary school in Thompson, then attended junior high school in Clear Lake, Iowa, and graduated from Northfield High School in Farmington, MN, in 1948. Mary's interests in her youth included participating in the 4-H club, being a majorette, cheerleading, and riding horses. Her first job was detasseling corn in 1945. She was also a Victory Farm Volunteer during the war in 1945 for the US Crop Corps. She won the Dakota County Health Queen award in 4-H in 1945 with Health King Lloyd Harkness.
She married Gordon Gale Carlberg on June 26th,1949 in Windom, MN. They had two daughters:
Lynn Marie (Ashby) and Candice Lee (Kisely). They lived in Excelsior and Deephaven, MN.
She worked at IBM in Minneapolis as a magnetic tape inspector and was elected as a committee officer for her division in 1961.
Mary met her husband, Leo Carl Nelsen, at IBM, and on October 10, 1964, they were married in St. Paul, MN. They had one daughter, Michele Rae. Mary worked as an executive assistant for the United States Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) among other government agencies in Boulder, CO, and retired from there in 1994.
During their 56 years together, Mary and Leo lived in Minnesota, Virginia, Hawaii, and Colorado.
Mary enjoyed many wonderful cruises around the world with Leo and family, including Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, Hawaii, Asia, Mexico, and the Mediterranean.
She and Leo enjoyed camping trips with the RV club "The Rollin' Boulders" beginning in 1976. Mary also enjoyed fishing, rock and antique collecting, and square dancing. Mary was an active participant in the garden club and won many awards for her arrangements. Mary also owned her own business buying and selling antiques and collectibles.
Mary is survived by her daughter Candice (Mark) Kisely, daughter Michele (Wayne Mandrus) Nelsen, son-in-law John (Lynn) Ashby; brother George Alexander, sister Marguerite Brude; grandchildren Ty King, Scott Ashby, Jonah King, Todd Ashby, Brian Kisely, Stephen Ayers II, and Lauren Ayers; and great grandchildren Ellena Ashby, Jake Ashby, Michael Ashby, Leia King, Adelynn Ashby, Eli King, Cleo Kibble Kisely, and Cedric Kibble Kisely.
Mary was preceded in death by her loving husband of 56 years, Leo Nelsen; her daughter Lynn Ashby, her sister Frances Alexander, her brother Wesley Alexander, and her parents Felix and Mary "Betty" (Scott) Alexander.
To send a flower arrangement in memory of
Marianna "Mary" Nelsen, please click here to visit our sympathy store.
To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Marianna "Mary" Nelsen, please click here to visit our sympathy store.