Sally Lee Nordstrom
Nobody’s life can fit neatly into a few column inches, so what follows is only the barest hint of a life fully lived. Sally Nordstrom left her body behind on Monday, July 26th at the Three Links Care Center in Northfield, surrounded by her large and loving family. She leaves a legacy of unconditional love and a passion for children, music and beauty in all its forms. She shaped the lives of two generations of children and grandchildren, along with countless cello students during decades of teaching—both in her home and as an adjunct cello instructor at Saint Olaf College.
Sally was born on July 4th 1922 in Minneapolis as Sarah Harris Lee. She grew up near Lake Harriet and always called Minnesota her home. Her father, Henry Melvin Lee, was a well-known physician in town and her mother, Clara Harris, was socially-engaged through the Presbyterian Church and Womens Club. Sally had a brother, Hank, and two sisters Virginia and Claire.
Sally graduated from Northrup Collegiate School in 1940 and from the University of Minnesota in 1944, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in music and met her husband, Harry Wallace Nordstrom. They married and moved to Northfield, Minnesota in 1950, where Sally would spend the rest of her life, save for brief periods living abroad in England, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland, studying and playing in music festivals.
Among her many accomplishments, Sally was assistant principal cellist for the New Orleans symphony and played in an all-womens orchestra during World War II. She also played under Erich Leinsdorf in the Rochester, NY Philharmonic, and later helped bring the Collegeum Quartet to prominence in the 1970s and 80s, performing locally and on Twin Cities Public Television. As hinted above, Sally was a popular and beloved cello teacher, passing on her love of the instrument—and music in general—to countless students both young and old. This musical legacy is part of her immortality as the music reverberates across time with each new generation.
Yet, for all her talents and accomplishments, Sally would count her family as her crowning achievement and life’s work. If love is the most powerful force in the universe, then she was omnipotent. Her boundless love lives on through her children and theirs.
She is survived by her husband and lifelong friend of 60 years, Harry Wallace Nordstrom; five children—Pat, Sarah, Amy, Eric and Rolf—and eight grandchildren: James, Rolf, Anya, Alec, Hans, Leif, Erik and Eli. Her extended family includes her children’s spouses—Kyle (deceased), Fred, Doug, Laura and Kathy.
The family will host a celebration of Sally’s life on August 22, 2010 at 611 East 5th Street in Northfield from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you come, please wear bright colors and be prepared for a fete more than a funeral. In lieu of gifts, the family suggests contributions to the American Parkinson Disease Association: www.apdaparkinson.org.
Arrangements by the Bierman Funeral Home of Northfield.
