Flora L Nielsen

Flora will be missed by so many. Her gifts and talents were endless. She had the most beautiful voice and was an extremely talented vocal teacher whose students adored her.

Flora was born to Ernest William Lundahl Jr. and Helen Elaine Montrose in Logan, Utah on October 25, 1926.

Flora’s love for music began when she was very young. Her mother had a beautiful classical voice and could play the piano by ear in any key she wanted. She taught Flora and her brother Richard all the new popular songs and when company came, she had the children sing for the visitors. This experience taught Flora to never have stage fright. She just loved to sing in front of people.

She always loved to sing and had lead roles in musicals in grade school, jr. high and high school. She was an R.O.T.C. sponsor in high school and sang in a Sponsor’s Trio. She attended Utah State University and pledged Chi Omega where she was chosen “Dream Girl of Utah State”. She moved to Los Angeles to study voice and joined the Red Cross Entertainment Unit singing for Army and Navy camps and hospitals during World War II.

She won many competitions including 1st place in a five state classical voice competition for a scholarship to the Music Academy of the West to study with Metropolitan Opera baritone, Richard Bonnelli and many other famous conductors and coaches. She was awarded “The Most Outstanding Young Artist Award” in Los Angeles and was also awarded a scholarship to the University of Southern California where she studied with William Vennard and was a soloist in Walter Decloux’s Opera Theatre and with the Southern California Mormon Choir in the Shrine Auditorium. She won the Utah Metropolitan Opera auditions and sang leads in Musical Theatre, Oratorios, Operas and concerts in Utah and California. She also sang on radio station broadcasts in Logan, Salt Lake City, Provo, Utah and Santa Barbara, California.

She was a soloist for the Methodist Church, The First Congregational Church, the Logan and Salt Lake Tabernacles and sang in many LDS church meetings. Crawford Gates hired her to teach at Brigham Young University (BYU), where she taught for thirty years. She was a member of the BYU Faculty Artist Bureau. She was an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), being Utah Chapter President, Regional Governor and on the National Board. She went to conventions throughout the U.S, Canada and Europe. She also worked in Real Estate and was very successful.

She was an active member of LDS Church and a believer in prayer. She taught Sunday School, Relief Society and was the Ward Paper Editor, Ward Preparedness Specialist, MIA Music Director and Ward Music Director.

Her students were consistently 1st place winners in Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Utah State Fair, The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and Bullock awards, and many had leads in musical theatre and opera companies throughout the U.S.

Her students have been members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and cantors in the Catholic and Jewish churches. She had students teaching at BYU Idaho, Utah State University and Music Academies in Chicago and California.

She was married to her high school sweetheart and love of her life Don D. Nielsen for 67 years. They married in the Logan Temple. They had three children, Don Ernest, Nancy Dawn and Carole Louise.

Flora and Don were avid golfers and belonged to Oakridge Country Club for 28 years. Flora was very competitive and won many trophies. They went on many golf trips and loved going on cruises, dancing and being with family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Helen and Ernest Lundahl, husband Don D. Nielsen, daughter Nancy Dawn Muir, brothers Ernest, Raymond and Richard Lundahl and sisters Lola and Florance Lundahl, and great granddaughter London Layton.

She is survived by her sister Alice Simonsen (Craig), brother John Lundahl (Jan), son, Don E. Nielsen (Texie) and daughter Carole Nielsen. She has 6 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

A greeting of family and friends will be held on Weds, May 24th at 10.30 – 11.30 am with Services at 12 noon at Grandeur Peak LDS Ward, 3640 East Millstream Lane, Salt Lake City, Utah. Interment at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3420 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah.