Nelson Family Thanks Everyone

Marilyn Nelson

June 18, 1946 - May 20, 2013

Marilyn’s grandparents emigrated from Russia and Poland and her grandfather labored in the Pennsylvania coal mines.  Marilyn was born in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, and the first five years lived in the small town of McAdoo surrounded by coal fields.  She was frequently ill from the harsh mountain climate, so her parents moved her at age 5 to Manville, New Jersey.  Both her Mom and Dad worked at the Johns Manville plant on different shifts so there was always somebody at home with Marilyn and her brother Frankie.  The plant produced asbestos products and asbestosis was one of Marilyn’s Dad’s health challenges. 

Marilyn was the first person in her family to complete college and she chose Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia.  Because of the work-study five-year program, only half of the student body was there at any given time.  She was in the other group and Bob met her just six months before graduation.  Bob took her over to meet his Grandmother in West Philadelphia and she immediately approved Marilyn.  Marilyn was fortunate to receive a full Public Health Scholarship to the University of Illinois to obtain a Master’s Degree in Library Science.  Marilyn and Bob announced their engagement on Christmas Day 1969 when she and her parents braved a snow storm to have Christmas dinner at the Nelsons’ home in the Philadelphia suburbs. 

Bob had already begun working full time at NASA in June 1969 and on one of her trips back east they picked out our first home in old Greenbelt, a three bedroom townhome with 920 square feet.  Marilyn and Bob were married in St. John’s Episcopal Church in Somerville, New Jersey, on August 22, 1970, and spent their honeymoon in Warm Springs, Virginia. 

Marilyn worked at the Department of Interior for two years and then joined the newly opened University of Maryland Undergraduate Library and pursued a second Master’s Degree in Horticulture.  In 1978 she competed with 75 candidates and was hired by the Library of Congress Congressional Research Service.  She served members of Congress and their staff for 27 years retiring in 2004.

Marilyn had an interest in fine choral music and would go to the Berkshire Choral Festival in addition to being a member of Washington Choral Groups including Masterworks Chorus and New Dominion Chorale.  Marilyn joined the National Christian Choir and was one of the voices in the chorus on the final recording made by founding director C. Harry Causey.  Bob played the recording for her in the Intensive Care Unit at Fairfax Hospital during her final hours on earth.

She was an excellent organizer and at their former church (All Saints) was active in the Fall Festival held on Chevy Chase Circle.  This event that she chaired raised over $25,000.  She was a member of the Vestry, the overseeing lay leadership of the church.  In 1997 just a couple months before the long-term conservative rector retired, Marilyn was a delegate to the Diocesan Convention held at the Washington National Cathedral.  One proposal came up regarding a study on euthanasia and when the voice vote was taken by the 700 delegates attending, Marilyn thought she was the only one shouting “no” in the cavernous cathedral.  So it was time for the Nelsons to depart from a church denomination whose doctrine was shifting far from scriptural moorings.

All Saints Church always had a Good Friday afternoon service and Bob went to Immanuel’s Church for the first time on Good Friday in 1998.  Right afterwards we heard on WCTN radio the announcement of the spring Bible study at Immanuel’s and Marilyn said, “let’s go.”  We so enjoyed the rich Biblical teaching and participated fully in multi-day Holy Convocations.  Marilyn eagerly embraced becoming part of Immanuel’s having our photo taken for the 15^th anniversary pictorial directory and completing the new members class. 

Small Groups were just starting at Immanuel’s and Marilyn and Bob hosted monthly meetings primarily at their home for the Southern Quadrant Group Leaders.  Marilyn joined the Royal Guard but a bad knee made it difficult to continue. 

Marilyn was unable to have children although she did undergo surgery for endometriosis in 1983.  By that time social service agencies were placing children for adoption by younger families.  Marilyn took a keen interest in her brother’s children and managed a college fund for her niece and nephew set up by her parents in 1992. This was so important for nephew Adam and niece JoAnna who graduated from college in 1998 and 2011 respectively.  Marilyn’s brother Frank was an Air Force veteran and died in a Veterans Administration Hospital in Kansas in 1991 at the age of 47.  Her nephew Adam works at Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City, is married to Melissa and they have with two young daughters, Hannah and Sydney Jane.  Her niece is pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa.

In 2007 Marilyn and Bob were eager to be part of a small group of believers called “Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government” who pushed back on legislation in Montgomery County that restricted the exercise of religious freedom.  She continued to be active distributing literature, making phone calls and editing handouts.

When she retired in 2004 she eagerly took a full load of courses for a semester at Washington Bible College that was near Bob’s office at NASA.  She also took courses online with the Wagner Leadership Institute.  Bob and Marilyn attended prophetic and healing schools offered by Global Awakening and International House of Prayer. 

People would frequently see Marilyn driving her favorite 1989 Oldsmobile with the “Choose Life Maryland” plates (Bob often drives a 1989 Ford).  Marilyn served as a volunteer counselor at Rockville Pregnancy Clinic and was active in the pro-life movement.  Marilyn and Bob are Ambassadors for Alliance Defending Freedom and very active with the Family Research Council.  Marilyn and Bob are able to be financially generous to pro-life, pro-family and religious freedom organizations.  Marilyn was so supportive of Bob’s involvement in Rotary International for nearly 30 years and has been the proof reader/editor for the Rotary District Newsletter for many years. 

Marilyn enjoyed  traveling with Bob and visited Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Russia, Israel, Greece, Turkey, France, Switzerland, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. John and St. Marten.

On the 1999 Immanuel’s trip to Israel with Pastors Charles and Dotty Schmitt, Marilyn and Bob had their first full emersion baptism by Pastor Charles in the Jordan River. 

She was an avid reader picking up several selections at monthly book sales at the library.  She enjoyed reading cookbooks and had an extensive home library.   She loved the challenge of thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles.  She had been collecting swatches of materials and already had made several quilts. 

Marilyn also had an extensive faith library.  In the book she was recently reading “Face to Face with God, The Ultimate Quest to Experience His Presence” by Bill Johnson, she had bookmarked one page and checked the following paragraph: “He is Looking for Those He Can Trust.”

“God has combined the ultimate quest with the promised outpouring of the Spirit because the ones He intends to clothe with the same anointing that rested upon His Son are those who have the same heart for the face of God that Jesus possessed.  Only those with His heart can be trusted to use His power for its intended purpose – to represent Him in all His glory and goodness.  This is our challenge – and our destiny.”

Marilyn was a woman of deep faith who while being very sick during four weeks in Fairfax Hospital in April and May, witnessed to nurses, doctors and friends the joy of the Lord.  The day before she went to be with the Lord she said, “Bob I’m dying!”  And on her final day on earth all she asked for was a little vanilla ice cream that Bob graciously gave her.  She only needed a few teaspoons and then she rested peacefully for about 15 hours until the Lord gently called her home at 11:52pm on May 20 with her loving husband by her side.

From impoverished conditions where the coal mine tailings were piled high just outside her backyard, Marilyn used her God-given gifts to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree, two Master’s Degrees and continuing education.  For a quarter century she served Congress and would receive acknowledgements from U.S. Senators, members of the House of Representatives and their staff. 

When she was born, Marilyn’s parents gave her the middle name “Lubov” which means “Love” in Russian.  Marilyn and Bob loved each other for nearly 43 years of marriage.  Daily she radiated the Love of Jesus to family, friends and those she met. 

With All My Love, 

Your Husband Bob