Sandown – Bernadette Margaret Nelson 75, former longtime resident of Sylmar, California, and Utah, passed away on Saturday, January 1, 2022 at Parkland Hospital, Derry, NH.

Born August 9, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois, daughter to the late Everett Elma and Margaret Dorothy (Healy) Schroeder. She was raised and educated in Sylmar, California and later made her home there.  Bernadette loved her family and children. She raised three of her own loving children and was a caring foster parent to many other children for over fifteen years while in California. When her children grew older, she was also a bus driver for special needs children.

Bernadette loved the ocean and had many trips to the beach and camping adventures with family and friends.  She also enjoyed art, having learned woodworking from her father she made beautiful carved and painted works of art that her children cherish.

Bernadette is survived by three daughters, Nancy Usher and her husband, Mike of Sandown, Loran and her husband, Mike of Milton, Fl and Jackie Nelson of West Valley City, UT; eight grandchildren, Michelle, Shauna, Ashley, Dennis, Mellisa, Thomas, Joshua and Andrew; fifteen great-grandchildren and two brothers, George Schroeder and Robert Schroder and his wife, Leslie all of Oregon. She is predeceased by her son, Richard Harris Nelson.

Services will be private.

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