Nadine Rasmussen

Nadine Jenkins Rasmussen, 75, born on August 20, 1939 to Newell Rigby Jenkins and Elsa Rudd Jenkins in Bancroft, Idaho passed away peacefully at home in Chubbuck, Idaho surrounded by her six daughters on April 10, 2015.

Nadine had a wonderful childhood in Bancroft, Idaho. She loved to tell stories of small town 1940-50's life growing up with her brother, Robert Newell Jenkins, and her many cousins and friends. One of her favorite memories was performing poems and songs with a head full of Shirley Temple curls for customers at her dad's Studebaker car dealership and service station.

She attended North Gem High School where she participated in every activity and excelled academically. When her and a friend wanted to take Chemistry, a course not offered at their small school, the science teacher ordered them a chemistry kit and book and had them teach themselves. One day the mischievous pair decided to experiment with stink bombs, resulting in the evacuation of the whole school. She graduated salutatorian of her class in 1957.

After high school, Nadine attended Ricks College and Idaho State University, graduating with a degree in elementary education in 1961. She went on to teach elementary school in American Falls, Idaho and Warden, Washington. She loved her students and they loved her.

Nadine began her young married life living in Warden, Washington, where they welcomed their first daughter, Tonda. Soon after they moved to Tracey and Porterville, California, where a second daughter, Carla, was born. They then spent twelve wonderfully happy years in Townsend, Montana, during which three more daughters joined their family: Audra, Janna, and Gayla. The years spent in Montana were among the happiest in her life, making friendships and memories she would treasure forever. In 1977 they moved to Chubbuck, Idaho where one more daughter, Dawna, joined the family a few years later. Nadine spent the remainder of her life living in Chubbuck, Idaho.

Nadine spent many years as a single mother of her six daughters and worked hard to provide for her girls. She was employed at Syringa Elementary School, Wayne's Grocery Store, AMI, and the LDS Distribution Center. One of the professional accomplishments she was most proud of was being selected to go on a business trip to Tokyo, Japan while working at AMI. She loved to tell her grandkids about the interesting foods she ate and about the night she sang an Elvis duet with a Japanese businessman in a Tokyo karaoke club. She treasured her time at each of her jobs, making dear friendships that continued throughout her life. She was truly loved by all who had the privilege of working with her.

Nadine was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the gospel and showed that love in both word and deed. She treasured her opportunities to serve within her church. She especially loved being an early morning seminary teacher in Montana, serving in the Idaho Falls temple, teaching Relief Society and working in the primary, spending many years as Primary President. She was an especially gifted gospel teacher, helping others feel the love of their Savior through her sweet spirit.

During her later years in life, Nadine had many health challenges, including being diagnosed with kidney failure in 2010. She spent the last five years of her life on daily dialysis. Staying positive through it all, Nadine never let her health stop her from loving life and enjoying her family. Even as a dialysis patient, she still traveled to see her family and create memories with her kids and grandkids, including trips to Boise, Portland, Yellowstone Park, Ogden, and Hawaii. She never took for granted that her years spent on dialysis were a gift. She often called her dialysis machine her "miracle" and was so grateful that because of dialysis she was here to welcome several new grandchildren and great-grandchildren into the world. She loved her doctors and nurses and considered them as treasured friends. As her health continued to fail her, she never complained. Her life was such a beautiful example of enduring to the end.

Nadine was proceeded in death by her parents, Newell and Elsa Jenkins, infant grandson, Dillon Swenson, and great-grandson, Manti Harris. She was survived by her brother, Robert (Ellen) Jenkins; her six daughters, Tonda (Clarence) Cody, Carla Larsen, Audra (David) Swenson, Janna Turner, Gayla (Andrew) Leibenguth, and Dawna (Joe) Burket. Nadine had 29 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

There was nothing more important to Nadine than her girls. She truly considered her daughters her life's greatest gift and accomplishment. Nadine watched her family grow over the years by birth, adoption, and marriage, and she loved each member equally, unconditionally, and completely.

Creating family memories and family traditions was so important to her and brought her so much joy. From Cousin Camp to all-night Christmas Eve's Eve parties, she loved seeing her family together and happy. These traditions and memories will continue on as her life's greatest legacy.

Staying "hip" was very important to Nadine and she embraced every new technology that would help her stay connected to her family. She would text her grandkids encouraging notes during school, loved to connect with friends and family on Facebook and Instagram, and was even on Snapchat! Her grandkids loved this about her and often bragged to their friends about how cool their grandma was. She was affectionately given the name "G-Dawg" by her grandkids. Her family is comforted in knowing that all ‘dawgs" go to heaven.

Funeral services for Nadine will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, April 13, 2015 at the Chubbuck LDS Stake Center, 450 James Avenue, with Bishop Robert Elison of the Chubbuck 11th Ward conducting. A viewing will be held from 6-8:00 pm, Sunday, April 12th at Wilks Funeral Home, 211 W. Chubbuck Road. Her interment will follow the services at the Bancroft Cemetery.
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