Vera Mae (Nelson) Dixon
Vera Mae (Nelson) Dixon, of Coldwater, Michigan, went back Home to God surrounded by loving hands and hearts on Monday, January 24, at Maple Lawn Medical Facility, where she had been cared for since a massive stroke in 2015. Per Vera’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and a memorial service honoring her life will be held on Saturday, August 13, at the Coldwater Recreation Heritage Hall building in Heritage Park.
Memorials for Vera may be directed to the Jillian Crist Memorial Scholarship fund, which supports future health care professionals with their education. Checks can be made to the scholarship fund and sent to Dutcher Funeral Home, 440 W. Chicago Street, Coldwater, MI 49036. Vera and her family are being
Vera and her family are being cared for by Dutcher Funeral Home, www.dutcherfh.com.
Vera entered this world in The Great Depression, born to teach, on April 26, 1932, in Sheridan, Colorado, the eldest child of Lola (DeBrie) and Arthur Mast. She graduated from Gibbon High School in 1949 and married James Nelson, also of Gibbon, in 1952. Jim and Vera brought five children into the world and moved 28 times in 20 years. They divorced before moving for the 29th time.
Vera had excellent organizational skills, could pack up a house in record time, often only being given a week or less notice.
She met Dean Dixon in Stevensville, Michigan, and married him February 24, 1975. They went to Western Michigan University, and both graduated with highest honors in 1978. Dean also moved her several more times, living mainly in Arkansas and Michigan. As much as Vera hated moving, she loved to travel, meet new people, bicycle, take walks, play the piano, ponder God, read books, and even had an interest in Pole Yoga. Her love of learning began young, when she earned the proper certification and began teaching in a one room country schoolhouse at age 17. In her later years, she was a substitute teacher for Coldwater Community Schools.
Vera was instrumental in bringing Weight Watchers to Southwest Michigan in 1969, lecturing for them for many years. She was a Special Activities Coordinator and counselor at Florence Crane and Lakeland Correctional Facilities, retiring in 1994. She never stopped learning or trying to improve the lives of those she cared about. She was a very passionate professional astrologer and member of the American Federation of Astrology, even qualifying to teach classes. She was active in desegregation in the south during the Civil Rights movement and was into recycling and trying to preserve the planet before it was popular to do so. Her life was seldomly mainstream; she was about two generations ahead of her time in many aspects. Her greatest joy were her children and grandchildren, and she always made their adventures with her interesting, as they can attest with “Momae Lessons” stories. Even as a resident of Maple Lawn, she taught her caregivers how to understand her without being able to speak, and how love doesn’t always need words, a raised eyebrow, a smile, a “sassy eye roll” or a good “stink eye” look is often sufficient to get a point across, and how wonderful a “Spa Day” can be for both the giver and the receiver and even the staff.
Left here to cherish all the memories with Vera are the people she loves most, her children, Nicki (Mick) Niland, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Thomas Nelson, of Little Rock, Arkansas, Jaime (Ed) Cook, of Garner, North Carolina, and Louise (Mark) Crist and Vincent (Carol) Nelson, both of Coldwater, Michigan; her sister, Violet (Roger) Edson, of Aubrey, Texas; brother, Dayton (Cremmen) Mast, of Dallas, Texas; and her grandchildren, Tara, Sean and Craig (Kylie) Niland, Shea (Diana), Zac (Jacquie) and Amanda Cook, Erica (Chuck) Crist and Sierra (Tyler) Cram, Ben (Katie), Ian (Megan) and Kenton Nelson. Vera leaves eight great-grandchildren and is currently holding three more great grandbabies, arriving this Spring. She also adored her special friends, Vickie, Jennifer, Alanah, Kara, and Cheryl.
Welcoming her Home with absolute joy are her soul mate and husband, Dean Dixon (1944-2016); first husband, Jim (1923-1991); parents, Arthur and Lola; sister, Davine Farrell (1933-1977); and granddaughter, Jillian Crist (1992-2011).