We are saddened to announce the death of our beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, wife and friend, Jewell (Nelson) Pearson. Jewell passed away unexpectedly on March 12, in Palm Springs, CA. Jewell was born on April 28, 1936 and grew up in Fairbanks, AK. While in Fairbanks, she met and married Roger Nelson of Ferndale. They raised four children while residing in Fairbanks, AK, Sunnyvale, CA, and Houston, TX, before settling down in Ferndale in 1977.
Together, they gathered many friends along the way and enjoyed many social activities including golf, traveling, boating in the San Juan Islands and clam digging at Birch Bay. Over the years, Jewell engaged in flower arranging, cake decorating, 
and was an accomplished quilter and seamstress, knitter and crocheter. She liked entertaining and was an incredible cook. She was married to Roger for 55 beautiful years, until his passing in 2009. Jewell later married Lowell Pearson in 2011 and relocated with him to Palm Springs. They took great care of each other and had a great affection for one another. Lowell said she was the nicest person he has ever known. They spent more than 12 joyful years together.
Jewell volunteered as a candy striper, worked on local fundraisers, and later in life, for Westinghouse and Varian, but undoubtedly her favorite job was working at Ferndale High School as an office secretary in the ‘80s. She loved working with the students and staff and made many meaningful relationships there. She was a social butterfly and befriended people wherever she was in life. She enjoyed mystery novels, crosswords and games. She relished a good bargain, finding lucky “Bobbie Jo” pennies, and toasting with mimosas. She was a bit of a card shark and enjoyed playing Pinochle with family, Bridge with her gal pals, and cribbage with anyone she could talk into playing with her. She nurtured lifelong friendships, but her real joy came from being with family. She adored family outings and reunions and fostered special relationships with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
We will miss her kind heart and big hugs, her wry sense of humor, her beautifully handwritten cards, her faithful friendship and her homemade raspberry jams and perpetual pie. We will miss seeing her fiery auburn hair, open toed sandals, and pedal pusher pants. We will just miss her.
Jewell was preceded in death by her husband, Roger Nelson, her son, Michael Nelson, her sister, Bobbie Jo Collier, and brothers Freddy Cook and Ricky Collier.
She is survived by her husband Lowell Pearson, her sister Betsy Sharp (Bert), brother Kenneth Cook, daughters Lori Hagen, Leslie Nelson (Peter), son Bert Nelson (Tami), daughter-in-law Debora Lillard, and grandchildren Shelley Fields (Alex), Maehren Leisinger (Ryan), Sarah Hagen, Eli Hain (Bethany), Walker Nelson (Shana), Taylor Nelson, Cole and Riley Nelson. Great grandchildren Rowen Fields, Drew Fields (Jue May), Van Leisinger, Simon Leisinger, Odin Leisinger, and Vivian Hain.
If you didn’t know and love Jewell, it’s just because you hadn’t met her.
A local memorial is being planned for later this year.
