Mary Whittemore Nelson, age 95 of St. Cloud, formerly of Glenwood, died Sunday, June 28, 2015 at the St. Cloud Hospital.  A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, July 2 ^nd at Glenwood Lutheran Church.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in Grove Lake Cemetery.  Arrangements are with the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood.

Mary Elizabeth Whittemore was born October 5, 1919, to parents James and Nellie (McLean) Whittemore in Winona, MN. Mary grew up in Glenwood, MN and graduated from Glenwood High School in 1937. After high school, she attended Normal Training for a year and started teaching country school at the age of 19 in the Glenwood/Alexandria area. She worked as a teacher for seven years. During that time, she met and was united in marriage to Ira Nelson on November 21, 1943 at the Congregational Church in Glenwood. They made their home on the farm and eventually moved to Richfield, MN where they raised their four children, Mary Lou, Gary, Doug and Jane. Following Ira's retirement in 1978 from Northrup King Seed Company, Ira and Mary moved back to the Glenwood area. She was presently living in St. Cloud, MN.

Mary was a Bible Study leader in Bloomington/Edina with her sister, Nancy Earl, and later in Glenwood. She volunteered in the library at Poplar Bridge Elementary in Bloomington. She enjoyed her vegetable and flower gardens, canning and baking, and going with her sister Jane Schopper to Estate Sales. She was an active member of her church and a Sunday School teacher for many years. In her later years, she became a sports enthusiast, as a fan of the Twins, Timberwolves and Vikings. She always loved being a part of Whittemore family reunions on the Fourth of July, Christmas and Memorial Day.

Mary is survived by daughter Mary Lou and husband Brian Martens of St. Cloud; son Gary Nelson of St. Cloud; son Douglas Nelson and wife Claudia of Lakeville; and daughter Jane Hughes of Roeland Park, KS. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Kimberly Gilbert; Bethany Donahue and husband Roger; Jace Nelson; Rachael Wyatt and husband Kevin; Andy Nelson; Megan Palmer and husband Dustin; Laura Nelson and Kelly Hughes; six great-grandchildren, Nathan, Natalie, Paxton, Abigail, Maddox and Jaxon; and her siblings Elizabeth Shannon, Sally Melling, Charles Whittemore (Lois), Herb Whittemore and Donna Reeves (John).

She was preceeded in death by her parents; husband Ira in 2001; and siblings, Willard Whittemore, Jane Schopper, Nancy Earl, and James Gooch Whittemore.

Memorial gifts may be sent to First Presbyterian Church of St. Cloud, 340 - 5th Ave South, St. Cloud, MN 56301.