Gloria Jean Nelson (Moorhead)

Gloria Jean Nelson, 84, of Rapid City, died Tuesday, February 25, 2020, with her family by her side.

Gloria was born July 17, 1935, in Lead S.D., to Omer and Florence Moorhead. The family later moved to Spearfish where Gloria graduated from Spearfish High School in 1953 and then attended Black Hills State College. Gloria then taught third grade for one year while living in Riverton, WY before marrying James S. Nelson III in Rapid City on June 17, 1956.

After her marriage to James Nelson, Gloria taught 4th grade students in the Gayville Elementary School while her husband, Jim, attended and graduated from Law School at the University of South Dakota in Vermilion, in June 1959. Thereafter, she was an “Army Wife” with Jim when he served three years in the Army.

In 1962, Gloria and her husband moved to Rapid City where they have lived the past 58 amazing years raising their family.

In addition to raising four children, Gloria loved to paint, fish, ski, golf, knit, attend her children's and grandchildren's school and sporting events. She enjoyed traveling as a tourist with her husband James. She loved gardening, watching and feeding birds, especially blue birds.

Gloria is survived by her husband of 64 years; four children and their spouses, seven grandchildren, one great grandchild, two more great grandchildren on the way and many nieces, nephews friends and relatives.

Funeral services celebrating Gloria’s life were held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 6, at the First United Methodist Church in Rapid City. Interment was at the Rapid City Mount Calvary Cemetery.