Sơn Thị Nguyễn (Pháp Danh: Phước Minh)

Sơn Thị Nguyễn, 89 of Marion, Iowa passed away on Thursday April 11th, 2024, at St Lukes Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A Buddhist Prayer Ritual will be held at Cedar Memorial (4200 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA) on Friday April 19th, 2024, from 3:00 pm -5:00 pm, followed by visitation from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm. A cremation service will be held on Saturday April 20th, 2024, from 9:00 am-11:00 am.

Sơn was born on July 13th, 1934, in Hà Nam, Vietnam. She was the daughter of Mr. Nguyễn Hữu Nhạc and Mrs. Đàm Thị Bẩy.

Sơn was united in marriage to Hồng Hữu Phan in South Vietnam.

In 1954 when Vietnam was divided in two, she and her to-be husband were forced to flee to South Vietnam from North Vietnam. There they got married and settled in the city of Saigon where all six of their children were born. Sơn and four of their children immigrated to the US in 1989 via the Orderly Departure Program (ODP), sponsored by two of her oldest children who fled Vietnam in 1980 as boat refugees. After arriving in the US, she took English as Second Language (ESL) classes and was sworn in as a US citizen in 1995. Sơn and her children have been members of Quan Âm Temple in Moline, IL for many years. Sơn enjoyed so much to get to know Sư Cô Thích Nữ Trí Hoan (Buddhist monk) at the temple.

Her favorite things to do were taking care of and playing with her kids and grandkids, watching Paris By Night music videos, grocery shopping, traveling with her family on trips and cooking excellent Vietnamese dishes for everyone to enjoy. Her favorite place for clothes shopping was Von Maur.

Survivors including her immediate children and their families in the order of oldest to youngest are Hưng Phan (Chính Tạ) of Marion, IA, Huân Phan (Ngọc Nguyễn) of Union City, CA, Trâm Phan (John Vũ) of Marion, IA, Khanh Phan (John Yem) of Marion, IA, Huấn Phan (Phước Tô) of Marion, IA, Anh Phan (Tuân Trần) of Menomonee Falls, WI and her eight grandchildren: Vi Phan, Alysa Phan, Joshua Yem, Justin Yem, Richard Phan, Sophia Phan, Nathan Trần and Victoria Trần.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her parents- in-laws, her husband, and majority of her siblings.