Nellie Watson

Nellie “The Duchess” Rose Watson, 99, passed away Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at the Clearwater Valley Hospital in Orofino, from a short battle with COVID-19.

Sis, as she was known by her family, was the oldest daughter, born Aug. 31, 1921, at Wildcat, Wyo., to George Andrew Eisele and Mattie Mae (Davis) Eisele at home with delivery by a midwife/aunt, Effie (Eisele) Ruff. Although she lived and worked in many cities and states, she always considered Wyoming, especially the Sheridan and Gillette area, as her home. When living in Sheridan County, Wyo., she was a cook for different ranches (i.e., Forbes, Wallops and Kelly Howie). She did restaurant work at King Cotton in San Rafael, Calif., and The Horton Ranch at Saddlestring, Wyo. She also worked for Von Ragsdale in Sheridan, Wyo. She was baptized in the First Presbyterian Church in Gillette, Wyo., March 28, 1937, on Easter Sunday. She attended grade school in Wildcat, Wyo., and graduated from Campbell County High School.

She is survived by her daughter, Darla D. (Schoenfeld) Jones, of Kamiah, and a very special and dear close friend, Bill Purdy, also of Kamiah, who was like a son to her. She was known for her practical jokes. She enjoyed bowling, playing scrabble and bingo, in addition to pinochle and loved to gamble. She was always ready to go fishing and wanted to be the first to drop her line. She was the first one up in the morning, ready to go and dressed from head to toe in complete fashion for the occasion. She and her daughter, Darla, were very similar in comedy character to Lucy and Ethel Mertz from the “I Love Lucy” shows. She and her daughter talked about wanting to drive to Hawaii like Thelma and Louise. She was a big fan of the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks.

She is survived by her brothers, William “Bill” Eisele, of Sheridan, Wyo.; Jean Eisele, of Surprise, Ariz., and Allen Eisele, of Reno, Nev., and by her sister, June (Eisele) Warren, of Sheridan, Wyo., in addition to many nephews and nieces, cousins and in-laws, along with a grandson, Troy Anthony Bowman, of Reno, Nev., born Feb. 21, 1966.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Phil Watson (Feb. 11, 1914 to Aug. 12, 2001), whom she met and married Jan. 7, 1970, in Reno, Nev.; brothers Jim (Feb. 24, 1920 to Sept. 28, 2008) and George Raymond “Spud” Eisele (May 15, 1923 to Nov. 11, 1942, aboard the U.S.S. San Francisco), in addition to her son, Ronald Raymond Bowman (who was born Aug. 30, 1947, at the Air Force base in San Rafael, Calif., and died April, 19, 2003), and granddaughter, Sunni Bowman, (Dec. 25, 1968 to Aug. 26, 2012) of Reno, Nev.

Cremation has taken place, and arrangements are with the Trenary Funeral Home in Kooskia with graveside services occurring later in Sheridan, Wyo., with her surviving family.