Nelida Salinas Sill Obituary (1931 - 2016)

Nelida "Nelly" Salinas Sill (84) passed away Sunday, February 21, 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was born November 10, 1931 in San Juan, Argentina. The oldest of four children, she was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings Walter "Tito" Salinas, Elsa Salinas, and Norma Salinas. Nelida was one of the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mendoza. She became the first Argentine sister missionary to leave Argentina on a foreign mission, traveling to Chile. After her mission she met a young Mormon missionary in Mendoza named William "Bill" D. Sill whom she disliked for his serious and strict demeanor; labeling him "a stiff gringo" for his insistence on rules and for being such a kill joy. Unbeknown to Nelly, he admired her zeal for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the strength she demonstrated while her family was going through trying times. Bill had fallen for her. After his mission Bill returned to complete his greatest conversion in Argentina; they were married in Mendoza on April 21, 1961. Tragically, a day after leaving Argentina, and before reaching the US, Nelly learned that her 17 year-old sister Elsa had been killed in an accident. Nelly immediately returned to Mendoza to be with her family. Knowing Nelly was the pillar of the family, Bill suspended his college plans and took a factory job in Mendoza for a year while she helped pull the family through the darkness of grief. They then moved to Provo, Utah and later Cambridge, Massachusetts where Bill completed degrees from BYU and Harvard. Bill always bragged on his wife's magical ability to support him and manage the household with four small children on a budget that was below the poverty level at that time, all while cooking delicious meals, making the children's clothing on her sewing machine and caring for as many as four other students children to earn much needed funds. After eight years of toil, with a Harvard PhD in hand the couple turned down prestigious job offers in the US to return to their beloved Argentina. Nelida was a quiet and unassuming individual but did not hesitate to show courage and loyalty in defense of her religion and her loved ones. She and her mother marched with The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo during the military dictatorship in the 1970's, risking reprisal to protest human rights violations against her brother who and many others. Her sense of loyalty pushed her to spend 10 hours every Saturday taking trains in hope of the 30 minute visit allowed her brother while he was a political prisoner. She was often turned away without getting to see him which only increased her resolve to return the following week. Bill was known for his generosity and kindness, but he knew that it was Nelly who cooked the meals he promised the sick, it was she that made the beds of the many he welcomed to take shelter in our home. it was she who learned to do with less, less of his time with her and less of their resources so that her husband could give to those in need. Nelly liked to travel with the highlight of her life being a trip with Bill to Jerusalem. Nelly was a genius in the kitchen! Her children never knew when things were tight because of her uncanny ability to pull together ingredients to do a lot with very little. Not only known for her fabulous Argentine repertoire, but also for her mastery of American and Italian cuisine. Cooking and service was Nelly's language of love. Nelly treasured her long-term friendships and loved spending time with family and friends . Left to honor her memory and remember her love are her children Zabrina Sill Baird, Tania Sill, Lynda Sill Franco and William J. Sill and two grandchildren that she raised as her own Jessica and Joscelyn Lucas; additional grandchildren: Tanner Baird, Zackary Baird , Jay Sill, James Dior, Lorena Dior, Samantha Dior, Rachel Sill, Andi Sill, Katie Sill, Bobby Sill, Sofia Sill and Samuel Noah Sill. Funeral services will be held at 11am Saturday February 27th at the LDS Meetinghouse on 5643 South 2200 West , Taylorsville, Utah . Viewing will begin at 10am. Internment will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery, 1500 Las Vegas Blvd N , Las Vegas , Nevada Monday February 29, 2016 at 10am. Funeral Home: Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary-Murray 4760 South State Street Murray, UT