Anne Nelson of Flagstaff, Ariz., passed away peacefully on January 5, 2018. She was 93 and known as "Oma" to many here in Flagstaff. If you are a long-time Flagstaff resident, you would know her as the little German lady who ran the Yellow Front store. She was a very kind and mentoring person to those who knew her, and has many good friends in Flagstaff.

She was born Annaliese Herrmann in Germany and raised in the city of Stuttgart by her grandfather and older brothers after being orphaned very young. She endured the horrors of World War II and twice lost the homes she was living in due to bombing. After the end of the war, she met and married John L. "Jack" Nelson, Jr., who was a fresh young Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, later rising to the rank of Major. She was a true "war bride." Anne became an American citizen in 1947 and never looked back. She was the most patriotic American any of us knew. As an Army family, the Nelsons lived in many places on three continents in fifteen years before settling in 1963 at the Navajo Army Depot in Bellemont west of Flagstaff, where they made many life-long friends. They subsequently moved to Flagstaff when Jack retired.

Anne was preceded in death by her husband in 1987. She was also preceded by a firstborn daughter, JoAnne who died at the age of 9 months in 1947. She is survived by a thriving family of John L. Nelson III (Lisa) of Pagosa Springs, Colo., Rick Nelson of Danville, Calif., Barb Misch (Fred) of Phoenix, Gary Nelson (Tammy) of Flagstaff and Mike Nelson (Cynthia) of Wallace, Calif. She is also survived by 6 grandchildren, whom she loved fiercely: Mark Porcella of Portland, Oreg., Scott Nelson of Danville, Calif., Alex Nelson of Washington, D.C., Shanna Nelson of Tucson, Marc Misch of Phoenix, and Katrina Nelson of Flagstaff.

The Nelson family would like to thank the wonderful staff of the Olivia White House of Northland (Vista) Hospice for their kind care of our Oma. In lieu of flowers, the family would urge a donation to Northland Hospice in her name.

A celebration of her life is Saturday April 20, 2018 2:00 p.m. at Norvel Owens Mortuary