Sandra Kay Nelson

Sandra Kay (Pearson) Nelson of Billings, MT, formerly of Richland, MT, passed away on Thursday May 1, 2025, at Skyline Heights Care Facility.

Sandra was born on Sept. 11, 1945, to Arnold and Evelyn (Strom) Pearson of Larslan, MT. She attended grade school for eight years at the Sunnyside School and high school in Glasgow and Opheim graduating with the class of 1963 in Opheim.

She attended college at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and Northern Montana College in Havre.

She married Wayne Eugene Nelson in 1967, and they had 3 children. They farmed in the Larslan community, and also raised a few head of cattle. She helped her husband with all aspects of farming.

Her husband, Wayne, was accidentally electrocuted while working on a water pump at Ft. Peck Lake on Aug 11, 1983, at the age of 40.

In 1985 Sandra and her children moved to Billings. She went back to school at Billings Vo-Tech for a year as a refresher course before working at her first job.

In 1995 she moved back to Glasgow to be near her mother. Her mom passed away a few days before, but she moved anyway. She moved to Bozeman in 2018 to be near her daughter, Heather, and her family and they all moved back to Billings in 2020.

Survivors include her children, who she is very proud of, Kelly Nelson (Gina), of Vancouver, WA, Heather Begger (Randy), of Laurel, MT and Brian Nelson (Barbara) of Hillsboro, OR. two granddaughters, Kelsey and Josie Begger of Billings, her sister Linda Conway (Joe) of Havre, cousins Fay Hansen of Lake Orion, MN, Virgina Williamson (James) of Rogers, AR and Phyllis Owan (Bill) of Williston, ND, cousins in Texas and Minnesota, her brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws Virgil and Judy Nelson, Walter and Debra Nelson and Randy and Wanda Swenson, and Valerie Nelson. And her special friend Karleen Kleeman (Roger) of Billings.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne Nelson 1983, her baby sister, Mary Ellen Pearson 1942, her baby brother Gary Lee Pearson 1944, her parents Arnold and Evelyn Pearson, her uncle and aunt Carl and Gladys Hansen, her grandparents Ole and Rose Strom and Axel and Martha Pearon and her in-laws Gene and Morlene Nelson.

There will be two memorial services. The first service will be at the Rock Church on Wednesday 5/21 at 10 am with an early luncheon reception to follow. The second service will be at the Assembly of God Church in Glasgow on Thursday, 5/22 at 11 am, with a lunch reception to follow at the Cottonwood Inn. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to International Fellowship of Christians and Jews or Feed the Children.