RAPID CITY | Pauline Noren Wilson Nelson Donaldson, 98, passed away of natural causes on June 22, 2018, at Clarkson Health Care.

Reflecting on her life, Polly wrote, "I have had what I consider to be an uncommonly wonderful life and am grateful for all the blessings I have received. I was born with a rich heritage of Scandinavian ancestry, into a free country, and to hard-working and generous parents who raised me up in a Christian home, only a block from the Methodist Church, which I often considered a second home. As a young girl at Pactola Camp I accepted Christ as my Savior. I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as an almost constant companion in my life."

Polly was born in Pierre, SD, in 1920 to Paul Noren and Clara Hansen Noren and grew up through the good times of the 1920's, the difficult times of the 1930's and the time of sacrifice required of World War II. These formative years exposed her to the joys and sorrows that life presents and she emerged with a deep appreciation for living each day to its fullest.

Throughout her entire life, she lived with purpose, joy and optimism, even in the face of challenge and loss, including three marriages that ended too early.

After graduating from Pierre High School, she attended Stephens College and then began work on a degree in dietary science at Iowa State University, where she met her first love, a young man from Iowa named Walter Wilson. It was a time of swing dancing to Glenn Miller, a favorite pastime that brought them closer together. They married in 1942 and Polly gave birth to her first child, Carol. Walter enlisted in the Air Force and served as a flight engineer until his plane was lost over the waters surrounding Japan just three weeks before the war ended.

As a young war widow, Polly found herself back in her hometown of Pierre where she met Bernard Nelson, a tall, blonde, quiet wildlife biologist from Wisconsin who was working for the State Game and Fish Department. Polly and Bernie settled down in Pierre, started a family adding Nels, Martha and Eric, before Bernie had the opportunity to go to work for the Saskatchewan Game and Parks Department. Settling into a new life in Regina, Polly worked as a dietician and a home economics teacher. The family spent eight wonderful years in Canada before Bernie and Polly decided to move back to Pierre to start a real estate business and develop land they had bought earlier. In Pierre, Polly was instrumental in launching the Head Start Program and the school lunch program. She also worked on a variety of community and arts organizations, including the board of St. Mary's Hospital. After many happy years in Pierre, Bernie who had lived with diabetes since his youth, died of complications of the disease in 1992.

After 72 years and two marriages, a new romance was not on Polly's radar. But she lived with an open heart and new adventure awaited her. Clyde Donaldson, an old family friend, recently widowed, reconnected with her during one of Polly's trips to Minneapolis to visit her son Nels and his family. In her own words, there was initially "no hint of romance" but later on they had the BIG DATE! They went to see a performance of "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" and that was the beginning of a great romance. All at the age of 75.

The couple married in 1995 and moved to the Thunderhead Falls area outside of Rapid City. Soon thereafter, Polly again faced the tragic end to a cherished marriage when Clyde suffered a heart attack and passed.

About marriage, Polly wrote to her family: "I thank God for these men daily and that I was capable of loving them and bringing them some of the joys and comfort they brought me. All great and good men, and I hope, an inspiration to you all as they have been to me."

Polly stayed on in her new home, working to make it the "family home" they wanted, a place to welcome visits from all. Her friends on Thunderhead Falls Road and Big Bend Presbyterian Church became a part of her family and filled the following years with joy. She was a social person who loved people, parties and gatherings, but she also lived contently alone in the later decades of her life, buoyed by music, faith, friendships and the beauty of the Black Hills.

Polly's last years were spent first at Primrose Retirement Community and then at Clarkson Health Care, where she found and developed a whole new community and enjoyed her later years.

Polly is survived by her family, Carol Heiden of Nurnberg, Germany, Martha Nelson and Kristine Peterson of New York City, Eric Nelson and Ann Rudorf of Pacifica, CA, and Doug and Pat Donaldson of Albany, CA; as well as her grandchildren, Karl Nelson of Philadelphia, Joe Nelson of Minneapolis, Hope Nelson of Pacifica, Chris Nelson of New York City and Eric Donaldson,     ; as well as four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her three husbands and by her eldest son, Nels.

Her inspiring spirit and life will be celebrated at a service at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 5, at Big Bend Presbyterian Church, 10944 SD Highway 44.

Memorials to Polly can be directed to two South Dakota charities that were important to her: Feeding South Dakota, 111 N. Creek Road, Rapid City, SD 57703, 605-348-2689  (feedingsouthdakota.org) or Lifeways, 1010 9th. St. #2, Rapid City, SD 57701, 605-716-6555 (lifeways.us).