Ida Christine Nielsen, 85, of Whitefish, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, at home, with her family by her side. 

She was born Dec. 19, 1928, in Hardin County, Iowa, and raised in Eldora, Iowa, along with her four brothers and two sisters. Ida was the daughter of Isadore and Christine (Wolff) Nowasell, immigrants from modern-day Croatia and Romania respectively.

Shortly after World War II ended, Ida graduated from Eldora High school and soon thereafter moved to Denver, along with her sister Phyllis. While there, she met Roger Nielsen, an aspiring J.C.Penney employee from Cedar Falls, Iowa, and in 1954 they married. After a couple years in Aurora, Colo., they moved to Greeley, Colo., and in 1966 settled in Whitefish. Roger went to work managing the local J.C.Penney store and Ida stayed at home to care for their five children. In the early ‘70s she went to work for the phone company in Kalispell, later known as PTI, and remained there until her retirement. 

After several years living in Whitefish on the hill above City Beach, the family relocated to a serene home on Skyles Lake west of town where she lived out her remaining years. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger; parents, Isadore and Christine Nowasell; parents-in-law, Hank and Katherine Nielsen; sister, Martha Archer; brothers, Bill and Alfred Nowasell; sisters-in-law, Jean Welch, Dalela, and Donni and Darlynn Nowasell, brothers-in-law, Merlin and Leonard Nielsen, Blaine Archer, Bill Laughlin and Lowell Welcia; and son-in-law, Walter Finch.

She is survived by her sister, Phyllis Laughlin; brothers, Arthur and Frank Nowasell; and sisters-in-law, Carole and Francis Nielsen; daughters, Carol, Leslie Nielsen and Lisa Finch; sons, Brad Nielsen and wife Jennifer, and Curt Nielsen and wife Tammi; grandchildren, Jessie Donahue, Kyle, Chad and Amber Nielsen, and Mathew and Nicole Bradshaw; and several great-grandchildren.

There will be a graveside service at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery. 

Arrangements are entrusted to Austin Funeral Home.