Dorothy Wood Nelson

Dorothy W Nelson was born in Taunton, Massachusetts on December 25, 1920 to parents Allan Harrison Bell and Isabella Inotte Lowden Bell. Dorothy was the fourth child born into the family that would eventually include four daughters and one son. Dorothy's early years were spent in Massachusetts where she had fond memories of digging for quahogs at the beach and picking wild blueberries. With a long family history in Massachusetts and as a descendant of Mayflower ancestor John Howland, she was a certified member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. When she was six the family moved to Indiana where they resided for several years before settling permanently in San Francisco, California. Dorothy completed her schooling at Polytechnic High School in San Francisco as a member of the class of 1940. Following graduation she worked for the telephone company prior to her marriage to William Semorile in 1943. The couple settled in Los Altos/Los Gatos, where their three children grew up, Dorothy was a very strong, independent, and creative woman who enjoyed reading, writing, photography, and painting. She was a member of the California Writers Association, and was a freelance writer for the San Jose Mercury News. She also had a photograph of her daughter and the family donkey featured in Life magazine in December 1967. In 1978 Dorothy moved to Jackson, Oregon and opened a gift shop where she sold items that had been handcrafted in Oregon. Following her marriage to Billy Nelson in 1981, the couple retired to Valley Springs, CA where Dorothy continued to develop her skills in woodworking and creating wicker furniture for miniature dollhouses. While in Valley Springs she founded the Rancho Calaveras Writers Guild to encourage other women to develop their skills and share their stories. She enjoyed researching and writing articles about the history of the area for the local newspaper, and during this time she also wrote a melodrama, "The Frog Farm Dilemma" which she and a group of friends produced. The melodrama was performed for several years as a fundraiser for the Calaveras County Library. In 1999 Dorothy moved to Visalia to be closer to her son David and his family. She continued to pursue her talent for creating handcrafted items. She also did volunteer work at the American Cancer Society's Discovery Shop, became a member of the Red Hat Society, and was involved in many of the community activities at Oak Tree Estates where she lived. In 2012 Dorothy moved to Quail Park where she resided for the remainder of her life. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents and four siblings. She is survived by her son David Semorile (Lesley) of Visalia and daughters Judy Simons (Bill) of Tavares, Florida and Tina Lewis of Cedarville, Utah. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Nicholas Semorile of Visalia, Timothy Semorile of Long Beach, CA, Brad Christian (Elizabeth) of Woodinville, Washington, Brian Christian (Julie) of Redmond, Washington, Daniel Lewis of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Mackenzie Lewis of Salt Lake City, Utah. Dorothy also had 5 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the staff at Quail Park EAL and Kaweah Delta Hospice for the gentle and loving care they provided. Private family services will be held at a later date, and as Dorothy requested, her ashes will be scattered near Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Dorothy Wood Nelson

December 25, 1920 - October 19, 2017