Arthur James Nilsen

Uncle Art – we will miss your smile and your always-ready camera at the family gatherings. Love, Steve and Susan

December 5,2007

In Memory of Art

Every year it came as sure as the sun would rise each morning we knew we would receive the calendar. The front page greeted as with the words Merry Christmas from Art and Leona. It looked pretty much like any calendar with the months of the year and dates with peoples names and special events birthdays, anniversaries but this calendar was different and the reason it was different was because of the man that created the calendar. I guess that once upon a time Art had an idea and the idea was so important to him that he gathered all the names of everyone in the Nilsen dan and more than just putting our names with a date on that calendar he honored each one of us and made us special. Oh sure I would stick my calendar in a draw and maybe not look at it for a while and then I would take it out and look at all those names and all the special celebrations and I would think wow look at all these Nilsens and for a few moments I would think of those persons some names I knew and others were those added through marriage or birth and I would just remember that that person existed and was part of a family. I took my calendar out this morning to think of Art and to thank him for this wonderful gift. We were all special to Art and our days of celebration were important to him he loved his family/dan and he made a calendar to honor each one of us. He knew so much about his family and he captured a piece of history every day and I remember how he could remember dates and why they were special and who was special and I think of the legacy he has left all of us. Yes sometimes my calendar is in a drawer but today I took it out of the drawer because I wanted to remember Art I wanted to touch something that reminded me of this gentle, kind and loving man’s life and I wanted to thank him for the gift he gave to his family/dan.

I wanted to share this with all of you because I want us all to remember that each day in a very quiet way if it was a special day in our life that Art did not have to look at his calendar because he had made the calendar because he remembered us on that day and why it was special. And that is a pretty awesome gift. Thank you Art.

Love to Leona, Theresa, Melvin and Carmel and to all their families and to Art’s brothers and sisters and to all of the Nilsen family/clan.

Thank you for letting me share this remembrance.

Love, Edna

Aunt Leona,

My prayers are with you, Theresa, Mel and Candy. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to call me.

Love you all,

Marilyn