Obituary of Clifford Floyd Nielsen

Clifford Floyd Nielsen, 83, passed away peacefully on Thursday, 30 January 2014 at his home in Hillsboro, Oregon, surrounded by his family, after a long and valiant struggle with heart failure. Cliff was born 6 March 1930 in the Sunnyside area of Weiser, Idaho, to Floyd and Leona Nielsen. He was the oldest of four children. He is survived by sisters, Margaret Nielsen Hammond of Talent, Oregon, and Virginia Nielsen Young of Medford, Oregon, and is preceded in death by his sister, Priscella Nielsen Troxel. Cliff spent the first 14 years of his life living on a small farm in Weiser, enjoying grade school and helping his father and mother raise his siblings. In August 1944, his father moved the family to Ashland, Oregon, where he attended and graduated from Ashland High School. His favorite subjects in school were physics and music/band, where he learned to play the saxophone. During his high school years, he loved working at Lamarr Drug Store as a soda jerk. He was a champion milkshake maker, which commanded a very loyal following! After graduating from high school, he went to work in the Rouge Valley sawmills, taming the Green Chain and working the pond, proudly bragging that he never fell in. In 1946, he briefly served in the Oregon National Guard, training on 105 mm Howitzers. In 1947, he returned to Weiser to do the back-breaking work of topping sugar beets. After the harvest was in, he worked at Montgomery Ward in Weiser. Missing his family back in Oregon, he returned to Ashland and again worked for the sawmills, but this time as a log truck driver. Cliff loved this work and was very good at it. Consequently, a career as a long-haul truck driver was born, which lasted for the next 17 years. In 1952, Cliff met and started dating Audrey Ferris from Petaluma, California. After a brief courtship, Cliff and Audrey were married on 24 May 1953 in Yreka, California. They were later sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 8 June 1955. Cliff and Audrey spent the early years of their marriage living in different towns and cities in the Bay Area/Northern California and Southern Oregon. In 1968, Cliff decided to move away from the trucking business and return to school to obtain a degree/license as a funeral director and embalmer. After two years of almost crippling financial sacrifice and exhausting mental and physical struggle, Cliff graduated, put away his truck keys, and immediately went to work for Audrey’s father, William Sherman Ferris, owner and operator of Memory Gardens Memorial Park in Medford, Oregon. Cliff and Audrey both worked at the family business for many years in the early 1970s through the mid 1980s. In 1987, Cliff went to work for Service Corporation International and the couple moved to Salt Lake City for two years. In 1989, he was hired by Donalson, Sewell & Matthews (DSM), which brought them back to Oregon, but this time to Hillsboro. Cliff remained with DSM until he retired in 2010. One of the highlights of Cliff’s career was his service on the board of the Oregon Funeral Directors Association and as its President from 1997 to 1998. As a natural leader, Cliff was able to instigate change, improve process and, best of all, serve his fellow funeral directors. To Cliff, nothing was more important than his family and his church. Cliff and Audrey celebrated and consistently and deeply loved their six children: Richard Sherman Nielsen (deceased, 2010); Teri Lynn Nielsen Blue of St. Helens, Oregon, married to Graden Blue; D’on Rae Nielsen Thompson of Riverton, Utah, married to Randy Thompson; Clifford Floyd Nielsen, Jr., (deceased, 1962), Scott Cahoon Nielsen of Kennewick, Washington, married to Pam Jensen Nielsen; Kristine Audrey Nielsen Oakey of Monument, Colorado, married to Doyle Ray Oakey. Additionally, Cliff and Audrey take extraordinary pride in their 26 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. Cliff and Audrey’s posterity is continually reminded of their heritage, their good name, and the blessings of obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to Cliff, family and the gospel go hand-in-hand, each one blessing the other. Cliff’s service to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a strong testament of his commitment to the gospel. Throughout his life, he served in many different church callings, such as Young Men’s leader, Sunday School worker and a member of the High Council. For six years, he served as Bishop of the Medford First Ward, Medford, Oregon Stake. Later, he served as Second Counselor in the Stake Presidency of the Hillsboro Oregon Stake. Cliff loved serving and, because of this service, he positively influenced hundreds of lives and, in turn, set and outstanding example for his children and family. All were blessed because of his unyielding faith and desire to do good. Cliff dearly loved spending time at the Oregon coast. Over the years, many hours were spent simply sitting on the beach with his sweetheart. Gratefully, in June 2013, the entire Nielsen clan was able to take Grandpa back to the beach where he was again able to sit with Audrey and enjoy all of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. What a wonderful memory we have of our family all together one last time. Please leave memories of Cliff or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.