Gladys Louise Nelson (née Crawford), known to family and friends as Louise, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away peacefully on August 10, 2026, at the age of 82, at Cornerstone Assisted Living. Born September 19, 1943, in Modesto, California, Louise was the daughter of Robert D. Crawford and Virginia Crawford (née Fanning). She graduated from Downey High School and later earned an Associate of Science degree in nursing from Modesto Junior College, becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse.

Louise’s greatest joy was being a mother to her two children. As a young mother and wife, she worked as a Licensed Vocational Nurse for two years before realizing that the night shift took too much time away from her family. After Mike and Kim flew the coop, she joined the accounting department at the Manteca Unified School District, where she served for 15 years. After retiring, she moved from Manteca, California, to Bozeman, Montana, to be near her sister Gayle and brother–in–law Ed. She described it as the adventure of a lifetime and deeply loved living in one of the most beautiful and rugged places in the country—a welcome respite after the death of her husband in 1988. Following about nine years in Montana and one especially harsh winter, Louise moved to Nampa, Idaho, to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren, where she resided until her passing.

In her spare time she enjoyed working on art projects with her sister, but nothing brought her more happiness than time spent with her family. Whether with her sister, brother–in–law, her children, her grandchildren and nieces and nephews Louise was at her happiest when surrounded by those she loved.

Louise was preceded in death by her husband, Sherman C. Nelson, and her sister, Gayle Gallagher.

She is survived by her children, Michael Nelson and Kimberly Nelson; and her grandchildren, Grayson Lowe and Weatherly Lowe.

A service will be held on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Heritage Chapel of Lakewood Memorial Cemetery, 900 Santa Fe Ave., Hughson, California.

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

Saturday, August 22, 2026