Jill Nelson

Memorial Service for Jill Nelson, 61 of Yuma, AZ, formerly of Parker, will be held 10:30 AM Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Grace Lutheran Church, Parker, with burial to follow at the Rosehill Cemetery. The service will be broadcasted at https://www.facebook.com/HofmeisterJonesFuneralHome

If you would like to donate in her memory, the family requests that you donate to the Humane Society of Yuma or Christ Lutheran Church, Yuma.

Our beloved sister, aunt and friend, Jill Lucille Nelson passed away unexpectedly at her home on January 17, 2025. She was born April 17th, 1963 in South Dakota and was 61.

Jill would proudly tell you that she was raised on a farm near Monroe, South Dakota. Her farm life instilled many of her core values, the ability to work together, to make do, to be creative and above all, her love for her family. She attended Parker High School in Parker, South Dakota before obtaining her nursing degree from Augustana University in 1985. After being recruited in a snowstorm, she left South Dakota for the sunshine of Yuma, Arizona. She became one of 16 new nurses who were on-boarding to open the new intensive care unit at Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC). She worked for many years on the night shift becoming the night shift charge nurse. In 2002, she obtained her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix. She held several other positions at YRMC, ending her time there as the Director for Critical Care Services. Still passionate about nursing and knowing she had more to give, she decided to offset her retirement by working at Northern Arizona University as a Clinical Nursing Instructor. She found a renewed passion for nursing by working and teaching her “babies”.

She was chosen as Critical Care Nurse of the Year for Arizona in 1990. She was voted YRMC’s Employee of the Year in 1996 and finally her work as a child advocate for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was recognized in 2006 by the Judges Award for Outstanding Advocacy.

Her very strong belief in the Lord and a promise to her mother led her back to church. She was a regular attendee at the Christ Lutheran Church in Yuma. She was active in the Health Ministry program and led several medical education programs. She also belonged to several bible study groups.

Her two greatest loves besides nursing, were her cats and her family. However, we are not sure which order to put those loves in. Even from a young age and up to her death, she was very involved with her sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews’ lives. She made many visits back home, hosted family in Yuma, kept up with birthdays, graduations and celebrated births. She had a special knack for hosting her “seniors”, always taking time for them and having infinite patience. She had a fourth love, football. She was a faithful Minnesota Vikings fan (Skol) and could be found most fall Friday nights, whether in 110 or 60 degree weather, watching the Yuma Catholic Shamrocks.

She is proceeded in death by her parents, Lowell and Mildred Nelson, her beloved sister-in-law, Elaine Nelson, great niece Kyza Alm and her sister Judie Nelson. She leaves behind her brother Ron Nelson, sister DorRayne (Dick) Phillips, sister Jeannine Ogle (Randy), brother Jim (Barb) Nelson, sister Peg (Willie) Williamson. As well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and her life-long friend, Peggy Hampton Auer and many others who called Jill their special friend.

To view Jill's Service click here: https://www.youtube.com/live/VAQJvMecwFc?si=G8JIwwR0ZXWgDpfd

Local services will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 2555 S. Engler Avenue in Yuma on Tuesday January 28th at 11am. A small reception will follow in the atrium of the church.