Marcella Nelson: Short in stature but big in service and commitment

By Reader Staff

Longtime area residents are well familiar with Marcella Nelson, who celebrated her 97th birthday in October 2025. Though famously petite, Nelson has played an outsized role in the Ponderay and Sandpoint communities over the years. 

For her past and continued service to a wide range of local causes and organizations, Nelson recently received a certificate of achievement from Rotary’s District 5080 conference committee, which brought together hundreds of Rotary International members from Idaho, Washington, Montana and British Columbia in Sandpoint in April. 

Nelson grew up on a farm in the Paradise Valley near Bonners Ferry. Following retirement from a 37-year career with the Idaho Department of Labor, she volunteered at the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce full-time as an events fundraiser and membership coordinator. Nelson still volunteers on the board for the Festival at Sandpoint and has been part of the Ponderay Centennial Rotary Club for 21 years, also serving as a charter member at its formation in 2005. 

Nelson was working as the executive director of the Ponderay Community Development Corporation at that time, and managed that office for nine years until retiring in 2013. 

“She is amazing at putting together a raffle basket when needed, selling flower baskets or procuring an item for a fundraiser,” Rotary officials stated. “Last November, Nelson was even willing to dress up as a pickle for the Rotary Club’s pickleball tournament.”  

Through the years, Nelson has also helped the club’s large Duck Derby fundraiser at Schweitzer, and would brave the cold and wind in her orange snowsuit to help collect yellow ducks. She attends the weekly breakfast meeting for Ponderay Rotary and, as the organization stated, even at the age of 97, Nelson still believes in Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self” in everything she does.