Virginia Louise 'Rif' Nelson

• 

Nelson, Virginia Louise "Rif" 95, of Edina, died peacefully on March 25, 2022, surrounded by family. Born Virginia Louise Rifenbary, people knew her simply as "Rif." She will be missed for her warmth, her playful laugh, her innate sense of fairness and her ability to make others feel welcome. Rif was born in April of 1926, in St. Joseph, MO. Her mother, for whom she was named, died when she was an infant. She grew up an only child and had a close relationship with her father, Reinhold, who was also nicknamed "Rif." They wrote letters to each other weekly for 40 years. He instilled in Rif a love of cars, precise record keeping and baseball. Rif would sometimes talk to animals as if they could reply. Growing up she was not allowed to have a dog but would occasionally bring home "strays" (neighbors' pets) and care for them until their owners could be "found." At the age of 17, Rif left home for St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where she earned a degree in Music Education and met her husband, Stan. They were married in 1949. Rif's presence in Stan's national hospital career helped crystallize a leadership style marked by quiet professionalism and thorough decency. She took her role seriously but never took herself seriously. Together Rif and Stan raised three children. Though she typically had a friendly demeanor, Rif would fiercely defend her children when, for example, a carnival worker in a ticket booth tried to shortchange them. Otherwise, her ire was reserved only for the local dog catcher. Rif's fun nature made her a favorite with children in both her immediate and extended family. She had a closet full of board games, wind-up toys and stuffed animals. Her nephew once observed, "she's the only woman I know who keeps a squirt gun in her purse." Later in life Rif returned to St. Olaf as an active class representative in alumni fundraising, for which she was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award in 2006. Over 95 years, as with any long life, Rif lost dozens of friends and relatives, but she displayed a graceful perseverance even during the loss of her independence due to advanced age. She maintained her neighborly greeting and smile to her final days. The family wishes to express its gratitude to all the caregivers at The Waters of Edina who became part of Rif's family in recent years, to Grace Hospice, and a special thank you to Sue and Steve Cathers who personally assisted Rif after Stan died in 2012. Rif is preceded in death by her cherished daughter, Barbara Louise Nelson, and her husband, Stanley Roe Nelson. She is survived by her son, Mark Nelson (Miriam), and daughter, Janet Nelson Rice (Jim); her grandchildren, Lindsey Nelson Donnelly (Scott), Scott Nelson (Brittany), CloAnne Roe Nelson, Anna O'Connor (Amon) and Peter Rice; step-grandson Jason Rice (Tamar), step-granddaughters Mia Rice and Marguerite "Maggie" Mills; great-grandchildren Marin and Veer Donnelly, Ara Louise Nelson, and Seraphina and Ethan Rice. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409 on May 26th, 2022 at 4pm, visitation starting at 3pm. Rif would like memorials to go to Helping Paws, Inc. PO Box 634, Hopkins, MN, helpingpaws.org; the Animal Humane Society, 845 Meadow Ln N, Golden Valley, MN 55422; or the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Foundation, 4100 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409. Gill Brothers 612-861-6088 gillbrothers.com

Published on May 8, 2022