A degree in April and a wedding in May made the spring of 1980 a turning point for Emily Nelson Wittwer. She graduated from Brigham Young University and married Bradley Earl Wittwer within a few weeks. I find those two dates a useful doorway into a life that brought together education, performance, faith, and raising five children.
Emily was born on January 15, 1958, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Russell M. Nelson and Dantzel White Nelson. She died on January 29, 1995, at her home in Murray, Utah, from metastatic cancer. She had turned 37 just two weeks earlier.
Education With Room for the Arts
Emily attended East High School, where she participated in the East High Dance Company. Her interest in performance continued at Brigham Young University through BYU Theater Ballet and the vocal group Viva Voce.
She also spent a study-abroad term based in Vienna. The available account does not establish every course she took or each place she visited, so I would keep that experience within its known outline. It adds an international chapter to her education without requiring an invented travel diary.
Emily received her BYU degree in April 1980. Her precise field of study is not established here. She was remembered as an accomplished teacher and musician, but those descriptions should not be used to assign a degree subject that has not been confirmed.
Her performance work included singing and dancing in the Promised Valley Playhouse production of A Christmas Carol. I like the specificity of that credit. It places her artistic interests within an identifiable production rather than leaving them as a vague claim that she enjoyed music.
Marriage to Bradley Earl Wittwer
Emily married Bradley Earl Wittwer in the Salt Lake Temple on May 14, 1980. They later made their home in Murray and became parents of five children.
Their daughter was Wendy Wittwer. Their sons were William Marion Wittwer, Nelson Bradley Wittwer, Preston Haycock Wittwer, and Jordan White Wittwer. Their birth dates are not established in this account, and I would not guess their ages at the time of their mother’s death.
Bradley’s parents were Audrey Haycock and Marion S. Wittwer. His grandmother Wandamere Haycock was also part of the surviving family circle in 1995. These relationships belong to Emily’s family through marriage, rather than her own ancestry.
I would avoid drawing a detailed portrait of the children’s daily lives from the names alone. What is clear is the scale of Emily and Bradley’s household and the central place motherhood held in her remembered life.
One of Ten Nelson Children
Emily grew up among nine siblings. Her parents’ family included nine daughters and one son, making the sibling network a substantial part of her biography.
Her sisters were Marsha N. McKellar, Wendy N. Maxfield, Gloria N. Irion, Brenda N. Miles, Sylvia N. Webster, Laurie N. Marsh, Rosalie N. Ringwood, and Marjorie N. Helsten. Her brother was Russell M. Nelson Jr.
| Sister | Spouse named in the family account |
|---|---|
| Marsha N. McKellar | H. Christopher McKellar |
| Wendy N. Maxfield | Norman A. Maxfield |
| Gloria N. Irion | Richard A. Irion |
| Brenda N. Miles | Richard L. Miles |
| Sylvia N. Webster | David R. Webster |
| Laurie N. Marsh | Richard M. Marsh |
| Rosalie N. Ringwood | Michael T. Ringwood |
| Marjorie N. Helsten | Bradley R. Helsten |
The names show an extended network around Emily, but they do not establish how often the families met or which siblings she saw most frequently. I would leave the emotional details of those relationships to the people who knew them.
Parents and a Public Remembrance
Emily’s father, Russell M. Nelson, was a heart surgeon and a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At her death, he was an apostle. He later became president of the church.
Dantzel White Nelson, also called Dantzel W. Nelson, was Emily’s mother. Both parents survived her. Their loss became part of the family’s public history when Russell spoke about Emily in his April 1995 general conference address, Children of the Covenant.
Later retellings of that remembrance describe Emily ending telephone calls with an expression of love rather than a conventional goodbye. I read that as her father’s remembered detail, not a phrase that needs to carry the weight of an entire personality. It offers a small glimpse of affection across generations.
Teaching and Church Responsibilities
Emily’s church service included work as a Primary teacher and chorister, a Young Women president, and a Relief Society leader. These were different forms of teaching and leadership within the congregations where she lived.
Her life was remembered in terms of following Jesus Christ and serving family, friends, and neighbors. I would keep that description tied to her expressed faith and community responsibilities. No separate public appointment or salaried church position is established here.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| January 15, 1958 | Born in Salt Lake City |
| April 1980 | Receives her BYU degree |
| May 14, 1980 | Marries Bradley Earl Wittwer |
| Following years | Raises five children and serves in church roles |
| January 29, 1995 | Dies at 37 in Murray |
| April 1995 | Her father publicly remembers her |
FAQ
What did Emily Nelson Wittwer do professionally?
She was remembered as a teacher and musician. Her performing activities included dance companies, a vocal group, and a production of A Christmas Carol. A specific school employer or salary is not established here.
How many children did she have?
Emily and Bradley had five children: Wendy, William Marion, Nelson Bradley, Preston Haycock, and Jordan White Wittwer.
What caused her death?
She died from metastatic cancer at home in Murray on January 29, 1995. She was 37 years old.
Is her personal financial history known?
No reliable salary, personal net worth, or estate value is established. I would not infer her finances from the public prominence of her father.
Does she have a contemporary social media presence?
Emily died in 1995. Later mentions are memorial and retrospective accounts of her life, rather than current personal posts or new statements by her.
