Morristown, New Jersey— Mary Jean Nelson, an accomplished pianist and highly respected music teacher, died peacefully at her home in Morristown, New Jersey on July 6th. Born in Logan in 1926 to Alma Nicholas and Mary Carlisle Sorensen, she excelled in piano at an early age and at fourteen was performing at church and civic functions and giving piano lessons. Over her lifetime, she taught hundreds of children and adult students and established a reputation as a teacher of great artistic sensibility and musical knowledge. She graduated from Utah State University in 1948, where she received the College Award as the outstanding female graduating student, and then studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York. She later continued her piano studies in New York with Edward Steuermann and Kyriena Siloti. In addition to performing on a regular basis as a soloist and with chamber music groups, she coached and accompanied hundreds of other musicians. She also regularly served as a judge in piano competitions and auditions. Her career as an active performer and teacher of music continued to the end of her life. Survivors include her husband, Winston L. Nelson; a daughter and grandson, Kristin and Alexander, of Berkeley, California; a son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Lisa, of Flanders, New Jersey; and four brothers: Wendell (Lou) of Richmond, California, Robert (Noel) of McKinney, Texas, and Philip (Joyce) and Mark (LaRae), both of Salt Lake City. Mary Jean and Winston celebrated their fifity-first wedding anniversary in June. A memorial service in honor of Mary Jean will be held on Tuesday, July 25th, at ten a.m. at Allen-Hall Mortuary in Logan. She will be buried in the Mendon Cemetery. A memorial music scholarship fund has been established in her name in New Jersey. Friends who wish to support this fund may send contributions to: Mary Jean Nelson Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Winston L. Nelson, 24 Erskine Drive, Morristown, New Jersey 07960. ~Daily Record, Morris County, New Jersey, July 12th, 2000, page A16.
Logan, Utah— Mary Jean Nelson, an accomplished pianist and highly respected music teacher, died peacefully at her home in Morristown, New Jersey, on July 6th. Born in Logan in 1926 to Alma Nicholas and Mary Carlisle Sorensen, she excelled in piano at an early age and at fourteen was performing at church and civic functions and giving piano lessons. Over her lifetime, she taught several generations of children and adult students and established a reputation as a teacher of great artistic sensibility and musical knowledge. She graduated from Utah State Agricultural College in 1948, where she received the College Award as the outstanding female graduating student, and then studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York. After her marriage to Winston L. Nelson, she lived for ten years in Rockland County, New York, while her husband completed his graduate studies and then taught at Columbia University. The family moved to Morristown, New Jersey in 1960, after Winston accepted a position at Bell Laboratories. Mary Jean later continued her piano studies in New York with Edward Steuermann and Kyriena Siloti. In addition to performing on a regular basis as a soloist and with chamber music groups, she coached and accompanied hundreds of other musicians. She also regularly served as a judge in piano competitions and auditions. Her career as an active performer and teacher of music continued to the end of her life. Survivors include her husband Winston; a daughter and grandson, Kristin and Alexander of Berkeley, California; a son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Lisa, of Flanders, New Jersey.; and four brothers, Wendell (Lou) of Richmond, California, Robert (Noel) of McKinney, Texas, and Philip (Joyce) and Mark (LaRae), both of Salt Lake City. Mary Jean and Winston celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary last August. A memorial service in honor of Mary Jean will be held at ten a.m. on Tuesday, July 25th, at Allen-Hall Mortuary in Logan. She will be buried in the Mendon Cemetery. A memorial music scholarship fund has been established in her name by the New Jersey Music Educators Association. Those who wish to support this fund may send contributions to: Mary Jean Nelson MEA Scholarship Fund, c/o Winston L. Nelson, 24 Erskine St., Morristown, New Jersey, 07960. ~The Herald Journal, July 23rd, 2000, page 4.