This world lost a precious woman when Ina Adele Nesmoe passed away at Lakewood Health Center in Baudette, MN on May 20, 2025. She lived to the age of 93 years and 8 months.
Ina Adele Olson, the 6th child of 9 that were born to Ragna (Pederson) and Edwin Olson, came into this world on Sept. 4, 1931 at the family home outside Oslo, MN. It was harvest time in The Valley, and her father was busy in the field. A homeless man came to the door looking for work, and Ragna gave him the job of delivering a baby! Ina’s entrance to this earth was a harbinger of the adventure that her life would become.
Ina grew up during The Depression and had few material possessions, but, during her free time she and her siblings found joy playing with the animals on the farm. Ina attended a country school and was baptized and confirmed at Konsvinger Lutheran Church. Like so many during those lean times, she needed to make money and help out the family, so she completed 8th grade and then went to work around various farms in the area. She valued education, though, and earned her GED in the late 1960’s. In her late teens, Ina eventually moved to the Twin Cities where she met Marlow Nesmoe. After a six week courtship, they were married on June 17, 1950, and shortly thereafter, at the tender age of 18, she flew to Alaska to join him on their first adventure. They lived in a boxcar and cooked for the men that were building the Alaska Railroad and went months without seeing another woman. She spoke fondly of these times until the end. Eventually, they built a home outside of Anchorage, and she gave birth to her first three children. During this time, Ina and Marlow bought a farm just south of Baudette, and they began a new adventure there in 1958. She had two more children after they settled there, and her life of farming and mothering began.
The farm was considered a hobby farm, but it was a full-time, never ending job for Ina, and over the years, she encountered many physical mishaps related to tending it. Her days were filled with the chores of milking cows, fencing and haying, caring for chickens and tending to her large garden, not to mention keeping the peace among her children and running them to school and church activities. There was never a dull moment. If Marlow was the backbone of the farm, Ina was the heart of it. The coffee pot was always on. She loved having company, and It was not unusual to have extra adults or kids at the table. She always made sure there was plenty of home-raised meat and vegetables to eat for everyone. Her family was everything to her, and Ina was active in the community whenever it involved a family member. She held firm in her Christian faith; she taught Sunday School at First Lutheran Church and saw to it that all her children attended church regularly and were confirmed–not an easy feat. She was a Cub Scout Den Mother, attended her children’s school programs (and sewed costumes for them) and went to all their parent-teacher conferences and sporting events except football; she could never quite figure out that sport. Ina was the mom with the arms that welcomed and comforted her children and grandchildren when they skinned a knee, were sad after being disciplined or had a broken heart. Ina, our mother and grandmother, was the quintessential example of unconditional love.
Marlow and Ina sold their livestock in the 90’s and did some traveling. They drove all over the U.S., visited their ancestor’s homesteads in Norway and went back to Alaska to reminisce. Ina also took her first job since moving to the farm and went to work at the school, first with young children with special needs, then as a cook. Marlow died in 2005 after 54 years of being married to Ina. She stayed on the farm and took pride in keeping it looking nice; she especially liked mowing on the riding lawn mower. She loved to play rummy, usually with her grandchildren, and rarely lost. In 2021, she broke her hip and moved to an assisted living situation until she entered Lakewood Care Center in 2023. She quickly reunited with old friends and looked forward to weekly Bingo. Ina liked to hold your hand, and you felt it when she did; her grip was almost painful. She also had a memory like no other and was often called upon by family when they needed to know an exact date. She greatly missed her son, Jonie, who was tragically taken from the family on Feb. 19, 1996, and when she lost her other son Davy, on Feb. 22, 2025, her spirit became weak and tired. She began to fail.
Ina was preceded in death by her mother and father and was the last surviving child among her 8 siblings. Also preceding her in death were Marlow, her beloved sons, Jonie and Davy and two infant grandchildren, Shawn and Dawn Burk.
She is survived by her daughter Linda (Toby) Burk, Judi (John) Dodds and Marilyn (Bob) Sugden, eight grandchildren–Adele Burk, Brett Nesmoe, Shane Burk, Evan Nesmoe, Jessie Dodds Nelson, Aimee Sugden, Ian Sugden and Cole Sugden– and 6 great grandchildren–Grace, Annie and Ivy Nelson, Remi and Vada Burk and Jamie Sugden.
A funeral will be held on Tuesday, May 27th at the First Lutheran Church in Baudette at 2PM with a visitation starting at 1PM. Ina and her son, Davy, will be interred together at Elm Park Cemetery following the service.
Last modified: 06/02/2025
