Juanita Nelson

Once upon a time, there wasn't a day that went by when Juanita Nelson didn't make a new friend. It's quite possible you've known her your whole life; perhaps you rode horses together as young girls, went to school with her, or played alongside her in the high school band.

Maybe you met her at a Cheney Chamber of Commerce meeting, a woodworking class, the golf course, or at the casino on a Tuesday morning as she enjoyed Senior Day. Maybe you met her at the Peaceful Pines Campground as she made her way across the road on her 10-speed bike, popping in to see if you were comfortable and if you had everything you needed.

Perhaps, she met you along the way on one of her many adventures she shared with her husband through the years. No matter where you met her, thanks to her charm and grace, she would leave your presence knowing the most interesting and mundane things about you, yet somehow she made you feel like the most exciting person in the world.

Her brilliant smile and hearty laugh were but small measures of the zest she carried with her throughout her life.

She was as vibrant as she was kind, as clever as she was congenial, and as optimistic as she was tenacious. She was a devoted wife, mother, "Grammy," sister, aunt and treasured friend. She will be dearly missed, but not forgotten.

Juanita is survived by her three children: Janice Sanders (Lonnie), Butch Nelson (Gail) and Linda Olsen (Paul) as well as her seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.