Olive Parker Nielsen, 88, passed away April 10, 2008, at the home of her daughter, Ruth Nielsen Rich, from Causes Incident to Age. She was born May 29, 1919 in Richfield, Utah, to Joseph William and Olena Matilda Olsen Dalton Parker. Olive moved to Draper, Utah at age 8 and graduated from Jordan High School in 1936. She completed a Normal School teaching certificate from BYU in 1940. She taught school in Neola, Duchesne, and Draper, Utah, before serving an LDS mission to the North Central States in 1943. Upon returning home from her mission, she taught Seminary at South Cache High School in Hyrum, Utah.

After seven years of courtship, she married Vernon "C" Nielsen on April 2, 1947 in the Salt Lake Temple and was his devoted companion throughout their 57 years of marriage. After Vernon's death in 2004, Olive missed him greatly and we know their reunion has been joyful. We can just imagine Mom and Dad sitting together eating Dad's homemade wheat bread. Olive received her Bachelor's degree in Education from BYU in 1958. Throughout the years she taught school and specialized in tutoring students with reading and language disabilities. She became well known for her skills in this field and was constantly in demand. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in various callings including President of the Ward Relief Society and MIA, teacher in the auxiliaries, and temple ordinance worker. For 12 years she enjoyed working in the Extraction program and gained expertise in reading Danish records as well as learning to read and write old Gothic script. Olive served with Vernon in the Bristol, England mission from 1985-86. Olive's love of reading and good music was passed on to her children. She played the French horn and enjoyed singing and listening to her children and grandchildren perform. She was passionate and active in serving those less fortunate in the community and making wrong right.

She is survived by her eight children, Alice (Joseph) Raynes, Ruth (Thomas) Rich, Chad (Karen) Nielsen, James (Giana) Nielsen, Kathleen Nielsen, John (Gayla) Nielsen, Lillian (Sterling) Clark, Jocelyn (Michael) Goldberg; 34 grandchildren, 21great-grandchildren; sister, Hulda Parker Young. Preceded in death by her husband, Vernon; grandson, Samuel Clark. The family would like to thank Mililani Diamse for her loving care of Mom.

Funeral Services will be held Monday, April 14, 2008, 12:00 noon at the Taylorsville Central Stake Center, 4950 South 1950 West. A Viewing will be held on Sunday from 6-8 p.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road and from 10:45-11:45 a.m. at the Church prior to Services.
Interment: Valley View Memorial Park.
Published in the Deseret News from 4/12/2008 - 4/13/2008.