KENT, Wash. – Marion Leona (Lamoreau) Nesland, 92, passed away Sept. 13, 2007, at her home. She was born March 4, 1915, near Presque Isle, to Gordon S. and Frances P. (Rideout) Lamoreau, the first of 10 children born, and a stepsister who was five years older. Marion graduated from high school in Presque Isle. She attended nurse’s training at Bangor’s Eastern Maine General Hospital and Boston’s Lying-In and Children’s hospitals, and became a registered nurse in 1937, working at several hospitals in Maine and Boston. She then joined the military December 1940, and served for seven years, including all of World War II, traveling to Australia and retiring in 1948 as captain. She earned the Pacific and American Defense Campaign ribbons and a World War II Victory Medal. She then drove across the country from Maine to attend the UW in Washington state, after obtaining her driver’s license for only two weeks. She met Alvin Nesland and they were married Sept. 25, 1950, at Zion Lutheran Church, Kent, Wash. She and Alvin ran the family dairy farm in Kent, Wash., where Alvin had lived since 1922. Marion was very active in Girl Scouts and Rainbow Girls, and drove her daughters and their friends to ballet, piano lessons, church activities and school functions. She cared for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and enjoyed all the time she could spend with them. She also used her nursing skills caring for the numerous animals at her home. Marion was honored by all who attended her 90th birthday celebration two years ago at Arbor Village Assisted Living, although she continued to live in the Nesland family home after Alvin’s death at 93, in 2002, until her death. Marion is survived by four daughters, Ann and husband, Rod McKinney, Kari and husband, Larry Arlint, Alane and husband, Ralph Boylan, and Gail and husband, Jack Timper; 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren; two brothers and two sisters, Henry, Mike and wife, Connie, and Betty Lamoreau, all of Maine, and Lois Tapley of Connecticut; and numerous nieces and nephews The service for Marion was held Saturday, Sept. 22 at Faith Baptist Church, Kent, Wash., with a reception after the service at the family home. Memorials may be sent to a VFW Post of your choice or Eastern Maine Medical Center Library, Bangor or Husson College of Nursing, Bangor.
MARION LEONA (LAMOREAU) NESLAND
