Heather Irene Nelson passed away unexpectedly at her home on May 8, 2023, in Crookston, at the age of 39.
Heather was born on June 21, 1983, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to her loving mother, Betty (Isum) Fitzpatrick and her father Winston Minor; Heather was also welcomed into the family by her two older siblings at the time, Tanya and Joey Isum. When Heather was two years old, the family moved from Minneapolis to Bethel, Minnesota where she would discover a love for the outdoors that she would carry throughout her life. Heather and her siblings spent a lot of their time outdoors creating memories together; Heather was particularly fond of being on the water, and loved swimming as much as she could.
After the age of 10, in 1993, and with the addition of two more siblings to the family, Daniel and Nona Isum, the family moved to Milaca, MN. Heather attended Milaca High School and made a host of memories during this time; this is also where she met Brandon Nelson, the two were married on May 17, 2003, at Zion Lutheran Church. Shortly after they welcomed a daughter, Haylee Nelson, into the world. Heather moved to Princeton, Minnesota where she held several managerial roles; and from 2002 until 2012 was a manager at two different locations for Vision Works.
During this time in her life, Heather continued to embrace her passion for the outdoors spending her time kayaking, swimming, gardening, and going to concerts. Contributing to her love for the water, Heather was also a fan of the reality TV series, Below Deck. Another passion she found a great deal of joy in was painting, anything and everything that piqued her interest. Heather loved 90s music, every genre of the decade, especially R&B. Always a lover of shopping and a good bargain, Heather often came home with bags of finds from the thrift stores which was something Brandon told Haylee about often when she was growing up. On October 18, 2009, Heather gave birth to a set of beautiful twins: Maddison “Maddie” and Carter Nelson. On May 9, 2019, she gave birth to her son Kaisson Nelson. Heather, with her children, traveled back and forth between Princeton and Crookston to visit her siblings before deciding to move to Crookston in 2022.
There were a lot of aspects of Heather that made her who she was, from being a loving mother, daughter, and sister to an avid shopper and concertgoer; not nearly all of her could be captured in these words. Even though Heather was relatively young at the time of her passing, she lived a full life, leaving behind memories that will last a lifetime for her family. There are so many stories that could be told, one of which surprised her mother, Betty, to hear, when she learned that at the age of 16, Heather snuck out of the house to go to Chicago. Betty fondly and jokingly remembers when Heather stuffed a teddy bear and pillows under her blanket to sneak out of the house during a storm—of which Betty found—only for Heather to come running back home, the fear of the storm winning over her plans for the night. Heather experienced so many different places during her short time on this earth, from Las Vegas and Florida to a trip to Nashville, Tennessee where she visited the Grand Ole Opry and won a backstage pass for a meet and greet.
Heather will forever be remembered by her family: Her Mother, Betty Fitzpatrick (Isum) of St. Thomas, ND; her Father, Winston Minor; Several Aunts and Uncles; Brother and Sisters: Tanya “Randy” Isum of Crookston, Joseph “Joey” Isum (Amy) of Crookston, Daniel Isum, and Wynona “Nona” Isum (Holland) of Crookston; Children: Haylee Nelson of Shafer, MN, Maddie Nelson, Carter Nelson, and Kaisson Nelson of Crookston; as well as many Nieces and Nephews; and a Great Niece and Great Nephew.
Heather is preceded in death by her Grandparents: Edwin and Irene Isum; Uncle Spencer and Aunt Sue Isum; her Cousin Tracey Isum; and several additional Aunts and Uncles.
There will be a visitation with family held at Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home, Crookston; Friday, May 26th at 2 p.m. Followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m.
