Alvina M. Nielsen, age 82, of Brookings, died Friday, September 26, 2014, at the United Living Community in Brookings. Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Monday, September 29, 2014, at Eidsness Funeral Home with interment in Greenwood Cemetery. Visitations will be from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, at Eidsness Funeral Home. Alvina Marie Johnson was born September 30, 1931 in Beresford, SD to Alvin and Anna (Larsen) Johnson. Alvina attended school in Sioux Falls, and graduated from Sioux Falls Washington High School in 1950. She married the love of her life, Lyle Nielsen on January 5, 1951, at First Church of God in Sioux Falls. They raised their five children and farmed north of Arlington until 1990, when they moved to Brookings. During her lifetime, Alvina served in many ways at First Church of God, now Abundant Life in Brookings. She loved teaching Sunday School to "her junior high kids", playing piano and singing duets with Lyle. She also loved singing quartets with Lyle and Aline Stewart. Alvina gave her heart to the Lord Jesus Christ at an early age, which greatly influenced her entire life as a wife, mother, and in many other ways. For several years, she was able to travel to Florida for a time during the winter, and was privileged to give testimony in word and song in several churches. Alvina was a master at baking and cooking feasts for her family. She blessed many couples with her beautiful wedding cakes. Alvina liked to play games, especially Rook and Scrabble, and was always up for a visit over a steaming cup of coffee. Gardening, canning, sewing, enjoying a camp fire, and spending time with her kids and grandkids were things she enjoyed the most. Survivors include: five children: Dan (Anne) Nielsen of Appling, Georgia, Lori (Mark) Meester of Madison, Wisconsin, Candace (Cam) Marler of Dayton, Ohio, Julie (Curt) Lee of Arlington, South Dakota and Joel (Dina) Nielsen of Arlington, South Dakota; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and five sisters: Lorrine (Curt) Nielsen, Betty (Roger) Prunty, Della (Roland) Hagen, Sheri Parsons and Char Wollan. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle and her parents.