Nina Wicklund

Nina May Wicklund passed away August 9, 2014 at the age of 95.She was born on a farm in Freya, Wisconsin on March 3, 1919 to Jessie (Barrett) and Alver Coos. She graduated from the 8th grade at the Freya School, but was unable to attend high school because of lack of transportation. After grade school she remained on the farm with her parents and 4 siblings. She married Russell Wicklund in 1942 and farmed Russell’s home farm near Wood Lake until his brother Marvin returned after WWII and took over the farm. Russell and Nina then moved to Sacramento, California for several years. They returned home to Wisconsin to help Marvin with the farm and the care of his children during the illness and after the death of Marvin’s wife Shirley. Nina and Russell elected to raise Marvin and Shirley’s younger son, Roger, who was only one year old at the time of his mother’s death. In 1950 they moved to a farm just north of Falun, Wisconsin where Nina lived until the time of her death. In 1957, Russell passed away after 2 years of terminal cancer. Nina found work at North States Wood Products in Falun just one mile from her home. She remained there for 29 years until she finally retired. She was also well known for the berries she grew and sold. During retirement, Nina continued to do the things she loved. She was busy gardening, baking, and hunting deer in the fall. She traveled to Portland each Christmas much to the delight of her three grandchildren, and she always had special activities for them when they visited her each summer at the farm. She started a new career of babysitting, and she was also very active in the Falun Trinity Lutheran church where she was a member for over 64 years. Nina was preceded in death by her parents, Jessie and Oliver Coos, husband Russell, brother Lloyd Coos (WWII), and sisters Alva Louise Larson (Bennie), Lois Johnson (Raymond), and Betty Magnuson (Earnest); daughter-in-law Judy Wicklund, and grandson Jason Wicklund. She is survived by her son, Dr. Roger Wicklund (Joan) of Portland, OR; granddaughters Angela Frankel (Jeff) of Danville, CA, and Kim Chavez of Portland, OR; great-grandsons Ryan, Taylor, and Nicholas Frankel and Brayden and Greyson Chavez as well as multiple nieces, nephews, and a host of friends. We all feel blessed to have learned so much from her life of integrity, honesty, persistent independence, common sense and an unwavering faith in God. A visitation will be held Friday, August 15, 2014 from 5-8 PM at Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home, Grantsburg Chapel. Funeral services will be held on August 16, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Falun at 11:00 AM with Pastor Carl Heidel officiating and Rev Elizabeth J. Larson and Rev Arnold Walker assisting. Music was provided by Milton Johnson and Antonette Koons. She was laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery in Grantsburg, Wisconsin beside her husband Russell. Pallbearers were Norman Johnson, Lloyd Johnson, Ray Johnson, Doug Dewing, Kirk Johnson, and Jonas Miller. Her family extends their thanks to all the members of her church and community who helped her to enjoy her final years of independent life and would like any donations to be made to the Falun Trinity Lutheran Church, 10394 State Rd 70, Siren, Wisconsin 54872. Arrangements were entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home, Grantsburg Chapel. Online condolences can be made at www.swedberg-taylor.com