Obituary of Christina Morrison Nielsen

Christina Morrison Nielsen, 85, passed away peacefully at her home on August 27, 2021.

Born in Vermilion, Alberta, Canada on May 24, 1936, she was the daughter of the late Alexander Morrison and Christina Graham Wilson Morrison.

She was predeceased by her husband, J. Merle Nielsen in 2005, her infant son, Robert Peter Nielsen, and the late James Nielsen. Survivors include her son, John M. Nielsen Jr. (wife Lori) of Independence, OH; daughters, Christina VanDerwerken (husband J. Michael) of Las Vegas, NV; Heather N. Hardy (husband Grant) of Asheville, NC; Arla JN Wilding (husband James) of Glenville, NY; and daughter-inlaw Claudia S. Nielsen of Lehi, UT. Christina leaves a legacy of 24 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren.

Christina grew up on a farm in rural Alberta, attended business college in Edmonton, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1954 to accept a secretarial position at Cornell University. She moved to Schenectady in 1957 upon her marriage to J. Merle Nielsen and they subsequently resided in Burnt Hills and Scotia as they raised their family with Merle working for the General Electric Company. A work transfer took them to Orange, CT in 1985, where Christina returned to full time employment as an office manager and later, legal secretary. She and Merle retired to Asheville, NC in 1993.

In 2014, several years after Merle died, Christina returned to Scotia to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Arla and James Wilding. Christina joined the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints when she was 17 and has been an active member ever since, serving in many teaching and leadership positions throughout the years. She was beloved as a particularly effective gospel teacher. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, avid reader, and excellent cook.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 4 at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 52 Blue Barns Rd., Rexford,NY with Bishop Mike Butcher presiding. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend and may also call on the family from 6-8 pm on Friday, September 3 at the same location. Interment will be alongside her husband of 47 years at Shepherd Memorial Park in Asheville, NC. Local arrangements are entrusted to Glenville Funeral Home of Scotia-Glenville, NY.