Marlene LaMae Nicholson

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Marlene LaMae Nicholson was born to Petter B. and Idverdina Grytness on July 18, 1935, in Noonan, North Dakota.  She passed away, Monday, March 16, 2015, in Olympia, Washington.  She enjoyed being a part of a strong Lutheran Norwegian family upbringing with her two siblings, Petter B. and Donna.

As a youngster, she moved from North Dakota to Iowa to Aberdeen, then to Tacoma, where she graduated from Stadium High School in 1953.  She had beautiful honey blond hair and a golden velvety voice as a singer.  She sang professionally in dance clubs in the Tacoma area while in high school and after.  She even appeared on TV in 50s fashion, a rising star.  Her mother sewed beautiful formals for these events with Hollywood style.  She played the piano as well, finally gaining her dream; owning a grand piano when they returned to Washington after retirement.  She still played piano and sang. She especially enjoyed doing this with her grandchildren.

She met Larry Nicholson and the two were married.  They had three children, Karen, Brent and Drake.  They began their married life in Tacoma, where she worked at Ward Smith, Inc.  She continued to work for them and commuted from Centralia to Tacoma in the well known  “A & B Insurance Renault.”  She left there after accepting a legal secretary position with Jerry T. Moore, attorney, whose family have been close life-long friends.  They were also the proud residents of two homes on the “REAL” Mayberry Road; being a Mayberry Mom, who helped keep it a big happy life with the other Mayberry families.

She and Larry loved dancing, loved the “Big Band” music and enjoyed the Tacoma nightlife clubs.  One of her proudest moments was getting kicked out of the “Top of the Ocean” for jitterbugging!  They could easily clear the dance floor, together, jitterbugging; Larry a smooth dancer, swinging his blond doll around.   It didn’t surprise us what she had picked out for her burial clothing; a beautiful black ruffled dancing dress and sweater, classy as always, jewelry and comfortable shoes - ready for reuniting with Larry for more dancing.

In 1968, Larry and Marlene purchased “A&B Insurance Agency” in Centralia from Roy Alexander and Bill Bailey.  She sold health benefits through Prudential Insurance (aka the Rock) where she surpassed company quotas, leading local and national sales at a time when women weren’t in the sales/insurance work-place.  She helped break that glass ceiling for others at Prudential.  She earned her Charter Life Underwriter (CLU) breaking ground in the early years as a professional Life/Health Agent and Estate Planner.  She was clearly a successful business woman that she cherished.  To this date, she continued to assist in the agency, now known as Nicholson and Associates Insurance, LLC, with her son who is owner/broker, and daughter, agent/broker.

She was a very proud member of Daughters of Norway, Lady Lions, the Twin City Ladies Altrusa Club and supported many youth sports in the community, being instrumental at getting tennis lights for night time play at Fort Borst Park and Locust Courts in Centralia that many used and appreciated.

She was an excellent golfer.  She always amazed us watching her practice with all sorts of tools to improve her game.  She never wanted to settle for second best, always aiming for the stars!  She accomplished five “hole in ones” in her lifetime.  In her home, she still had a practice putting green to sharpen her game!  Tennis was a loved sport also, but that was “Larry’s” sport niche and she was HIS biggest fan!

All of her children and grandchildren learned her love of Earl Nightingale.  She was one who taught hard work achieves success.  She instilled this especially in her children and friends, teaching them Earl’s rules.  While she left for one of her toughest hospital procedures it was discussed that maybe we should “pipe in” for her the Earl Nightingale recording– even without it, she was victorious in the procedure.  She was very proud of herself, smiling from ear to ear, with tears in her eyes when we kids re-entered into the room.

Marlene and Larry traveled, utilizing the trips won by insurance company contests in which she won and Larry was her guest.  

They began visiting California and enjoyed their time in their cherished sunshine and visiting their good friends, Duane and Marcie Kellogg, and, Paige and Margaret Steelhammer at Palm Desert Greens.  There they retired full time about 25 years ago when they developed many friendships, played daily golf, tennis and enjoyed many social events.  Marlene made annual visits seeing her friends after Larry passed away in 2009, driving herself with all of her oxygen tanks, sporting goods, gear and coffee pot.  She had hoped to make the trip this year but her problems with COPD cut that plan short.

Her life continues to be celebrated by many including her brother, Petter B. Grytness; sister, Donna Solheim; sisters-in-law, Shirley Bjorkman and Beverly (Norm) Larson;  daughter, Karen (Dennis) Miltenberger; sons, Brent (Mary Katherine) Nicholson and Drake (Rose) Nicholson; grandchildren, Tony (Jania) Miltenberger and their children and her great-grandchildren, Charli, Reylan and Lucca and Tyson (Erica) Miltenberger; great-grandsons, Hunter and Greyson; honorary grands, Lili, Malaki and Isaac and grandson, Jacob Miltenberger; and grandchildren, Olivia and William and Noelle (Paco) and Natalie.  She was preceded in death by her husband and best friend of more than 60 years, Larry G. Nicholson in October, 2009.

Private family graveside services will be at 11 AM on March 29 at Mountain View Cemetery, Tacoma.   Followed by Marlene’s celebration of life at 1:00 p.m. at the Lodge in the Jubilee Community, 8487 Bainbridge Loop NE, Lacey, Washington.