Willard LaGrand Nielsen Obituary (1907 - 2010)

Willard LaGrand Nielsen peacefully passed away on Saturday, 10 April 2010, in Sandy, Utah. He was 102. Born in Hyrum, Utah in 1907, LaGrand became a dentist and served for 29 years as an Army Officer. His patients included causalities from the Battle of the Bulge, as well as General and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower and General and Mrs. Mark Clark. Upon retirement, he was awarded the “Legion of Merit”, the Army’s highest decoration for peacetime service. He served four missions for his church and became an international athlete in his retirement years. In addition to being a fine family man, he was a religious leader, and a Scouter. LaGrand is survived by four of his children. He also has 20 grandchildren, 58 great grandchildren, and 16 great-great grandchildren. His wife Beatrice (1988) and one daughter (1937) preceded him in death. A memorial service will be held at the LDS church building 2195 E. Pepperwood Dr., Sandy, Utah at 2:30 pm, Friday, 16 April 2010. Descendants of LaGrand and Bea will greet relatives and friends immediately following the service. He will be interred in the Hyrum City cemetery, Hyrum, Utah.