MARGARET ANN NELSON

MARGARET ANN MILLER NELSON

1946 - 2026

Margaret Ann Miller Nelson, 80, passed away on September 1, 2026, at her home in Santa Maria, California.

Born June 5, 1946, to Wendell Lasenby Miller and Viola Amanda Teague Miller, Margaret lived a rich and creative life centered on family, faith, education, music, and service to others.

Above all, Margaret identified herself first as a mother. She was the mother of four children: Andrew Glen Nelson, Jesse Nathaniel Nelson, Dr. Ann Marie Nelson, and Thomas Alan Nelson. Margaret had always hoped for a large family and dreamed of having at least twelve children. While her own family numbered four, her life ultimately gave her the opportunity to teach, encourage, and nurture far more than twelve. Through decades in elementary classrooms, music programs, and piano lessons, generations of children became part of the much larger circle she cared for and helped to grow.

Education was both Margaret’s profession and one of her lifelong passions. She earned her undergraduate degree from California State University, Long Beach, and later received her master’s degree in education from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her work eventually brought her back to Cal Poly, where she taught education courses and shared her knowledge and classroom experience with future educators.

Margaret devoted more than 30 years to elementary education. For more than 20 of those years, she taught in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, teaching children from kindergarten through sixth grade in both English and Spanish. Although she taught across the elementary grades, kindergarten held a special place in her heart.

Music and performance were woven throughout Margaret’s life. An avid musician, she played piano, harp, and guitar and loved to sing. Wherever life took her, music provided a way to participate in her community and bring people together. She sang in church choirs, performed with the Sycamore Singers while living in Ohio, and enthusiastically participated in church roadshow productions during the family’s years in Indiana.

After settling on California’s Central Coast, Margaret became deeply involved in the local music community. She sang with the Allan Hancock College choir under the direction of Glen Montague and became a member of the community choir Coastal Voices, serving as its director from 2006 to 2019 as well as on its board. She delighted in barbershop music and enjoyed her involvement with the Chordsmen, where she also served on the board. Margaret frequently performed and enthusiastically participated in musical events and fundraisers, relishing opportunities to combine music, performance, friendship, and community.

Of all her musical pursuits, Margaret had a special love for teaching piano. She treasured her piano students and the relationships she developed with them over the years. She taught students from her home as well as at St. Andrew’s Church, passing along not only musical skills but also her enthusiasm for and appreciation of music.

Margaret’s creativity extended well beyond music. She was an accomplished seamstress and quilter and a member of the Santa Maria Quilt Guild. She was also an avid reader and cook, enjoyed canning and food preservation, and loved gardening. Roses were a particular favorite, and she took great pleasure in cultivating and tending her rose gardens.

Married life with her husband, Glen George Nelson, brought Margaret an extraordinary amount of moving and adventure. She often recalled that they moved 19 times during the first 21 years of their marriage. After so many moves and so many different communities, Margaret was happy to arrive in Santa Maria in 1986, where she finally put down lasting roots and made her home for the next 40 years.

A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Margaret’s faith was an important and enduring part of her life. Through the Church, she found additional opportunities to serve, teach, sing, perform, and form friendships in the many communities she called home. She also served as a Den Mother with the Boy Scouts of America, continuing a lifelong pattern of teaching, encouraging, and caring for young people.

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Glen George Nelson, who passed away on June 13, 2019; her son, Thomas Alan Nelson; her parents, Wendell Lasenby Miller and Viola Amanda Teague Miller; and her brother, William Miller. She is survived by her children, Andrew Glen Nelson, Jesse Nathaniel Nelson, and Dr. Ann Marie Nelson; and her brothers, John Miller, Tom Miller, and Jim Miller.

Margaret leaves behind a legacy of family, teaching, music, faith, creativity, and a lifelong desire to help things grow—children in a classroom, students at a piano, voices joined together in song, something carefully made by hand, or the roses in her garden. Her influence lives on in her family and in the generations of students, musicians, friends, and community members whose lives she touched.

Celebration of Life services will be held Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1219 Oak Knoll Road, Santa Maria, California 93455.