Almost to Heaven

About the Book

This book, Almost to Heaven by Jean is written to thank the community, church, hospital and Jean’s family for all that was accomplished while working together with Jean’s emergency care one important morning. These values brought Jean back into realizing the importance of why she is here, on earth. The book is an account of Jean’s Near Death Experience with God. Jean died on August, 26, 2013 and was given another chance of life on August 28, 2013 because of the of expertise of Dr. Jeff Rayl with the New Ulm’ Medical Center and Dr. Tim Henry at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in the cities. Jean’s life was given back because of more than the medical care she received. It was through her husband, Rod, daughters, Lori, and Rachel, sisters, parents aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and church, co-workers, friends, neighbors that showed Jean what can happen when a community works together and how the power of prayer truly works. This book is written as well to remind the media how positive stories can always develop from stories/experiences if we choose to work together even in a smaller community for the good of the whole, the sake of one person. For those reading this story, please know, your prayers will always be remembered in my heart. It is three years since the time this experience happened. Even though the book is technically finished, the story continues as Jean pledges to serve the New Ulm community and God while distributing and setting up the most precious gift we have on Earth, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist while being in Full Communion of the Catholic Church! PLEASE KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT AREA OF LIFE I’M LIVING IT’LL BE LIVED IN FULL COMMUNION OF THE CHURCH TO GLORIFY GOD’S NAME! MAY ONLY GOOD COME OUT OF THIS BOOK!

About the Author

Jean Ann Murphy was born 9-24-60 to the parents of Cyril Francis and Shirley Mae Weis (Murphy) in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Jean is the 2nd of 5 daughters to Cyril and Shirley born from 1959-1965. All Jean’s early childhood and high school years were lived in Wisconsin. Jean graduated in Prairie du Chien, Wi, in 1979. Interests in Wisconsin developed were her love for God, family and then as the great Vince Lombardi would list, the Green Bay Packers. The Murphy family moved to Minnesota in 1979. Jean from there moved to Fosston, Minnesota to work at the city’s municipal nursing home in 1982. She met her future husband, Rod Nielsen there and they were married in June 1982 in Bemidji, Minnesota. While living in Fosston, two daughters were born, Lori Jean on 12-23-82 and Rachel Elizabeth on 8-9-86. As family needs grew so did education as Jean received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with additional licensures in the Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and early childhood special education areas at Bemidji State University. Jean moved her family to Fairmont, Minnesota to establish a career in teaching with the Martin County Special Education Coop. Because of change in education, this moved the family to New Ulm, Minnesota in 1995. Jean became the director of the New Ulm Area Catholic Schools EduCare preschool and daycare serving 80 families at the time. More change was to come with work and the consolidation of the program into a new elementary building led Jean to a new career working with group homes in the New Ulm area. Staying in New Ulm was a blessing in disguise for Jean and her family. The family learned the true values of the community because the longer the family lived in New Ulm, the more apparent of living the city’s values became because these values became her own. Over time, as Lori married she and her husband, Brett now have two children Lily and Eve. They are in New Ulm, too, and understanding more and more the importance of living in a smaller community.