Grace Nyland

Grace Nyland, age 95, from Clearbrook, MN passed away on Tuesday, November 17th at the Good Samaritan Center in Clearbrook. Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 20th at 1:00 PM at Lund Lutheran Church in Gully, MN with Pastor Michael Sletto officiating. Visitation will be held for one hour before the funeral at the church, and interment will be at Salem Lutheran Cemetery, rural Gully. The Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home of Fosston is in charge of the arrangements.Grace Alvina Melander was born on July 29, 1914 to parents Gustav and Caroline (Gomsrud) Melander at Freeborn, MN. She moved with her parents to a farm north of Gonvick, MN and was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Faith. She attended grade school at Berner, MN and one year at the AC in Crookston.Grace was married to Albert Nyland on November 19, 1932 at Gonvick and they resided on their farm south of Gully, MN for 55 years at which time they retired and moved to Clearbrook, MN in 1988; two sons were born to them, Ronald and Wayne. Albert passed away in 1992.She was active in both the Salem Church Ladies Aid and Lund Lutheran Church Ladies Aid of Gully where she held many offices. Grace was organist at both Salem and Lund Churches for many years and was substitute organist for Sunday services at Lund and Sand Valley Church of Trail. She worked as a sales clerk in various places; the Co-op Store at Gully, the Fairway Store at Fosston, MN and Montgomery Ward in St. Paul. She cooked at the school in Silver Bay, MN for two years, worked at the sewing factory at the O.M.C. in Trail and Oklee, MN. She also worked at Fingerhut at Gaylord, MN, was a substitute school bus driver for her husband and worked for 12 years at Winsor Products Lefse' of rural Gonvick.Grace enjoyed making many quilts for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and she also quilted with the ladies at church. She enjoyed putting scrapbooks together and loved and enjoyed visiting with her children, grandchildren and families and they always looked forward to her good cooking and baking. She always enjoyed having company, loved music, playing the piano and dancing, raising flowers and "loved all her good friends who were so kind to her". In her later years she played the piano as a volunteer at the Good Samaritan Center until her eyesight prevented her from doing so. She has been a resident there for the past two years.On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Grace passed away at the Good Samaritan Center in Clearbrook at the age of 95 years.Survivors include two sons, Ronald (Janice) of Gully and Wayne (Roselyn) of Clearbrook; many grandchildren and great grandchildren; one sister, June Neal of Des Moines, WA; and one brother, Gene Melander of Clearbrook.She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Albert Nyland; great grandson, Christopher Nyland; three sisters, Leola Branden, Natalie Haugen and Muriel Wagner; and four brothers, John, Robert, Dale and Roger Melander.