Former Washington County resident Mildred L. Paulsen, 94, of Gretna, died Dec. 1, 2006, in Omaha.

Funeral services were Monday, Dec. 4, at First Lutheran Church in Blair, with interment in the Blair Cemetery.

Mildred Lorraine Nelsen was born Jan. 16, 1912, in Kennard to George and Myrtle (Wright) Nelsen. She attended grade school in Kennard and attended Blair High School, where she met her husband of 72 years, Harry Paulsen of Blair. The couple married May 29, 1929, in Blair, and started their life of farming in the Blair area.

They moved to Cozad and started a Ben Franklin Store, then left after four years and moved to Fort Calhoun, where they farmed and Mr. Paulsen started his longtime career as a realtor. During this time, Mrs. Paulsen worked at the Goldstein-Chapman store in downtown Omaha where she was a store clerk, then went to work at Wilkinson Manufacturing in Fort Calhoun, while they both continued farming the land that now makes up Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge.

After they sold their land to the federal government, they moved from their farm to their home in Blair in 1993. In later years, they moved to the Good Shepherd Assisted Living. After her husband’s death in 2002, she moved to the Silver Ridge Assisted Living in Gretna to be closer to her family.

She will be remembered as a very loving and generous wife, mother and grandmother. Her friends and family remember her as always loving to dance and play cards.

She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Pat Paulsen of Omaha; three grandchildren and their families; three step-grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Leola Jensen and Vera Johnson; and a brother, Clyde Nelsen.

Memorials are suggested to First Lutheran Church in Blair.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.