Claudia Rae Bottom

In Loving Reflection of Claudia Bottom

Some lives are not measured in years, but in the steady care they give and the people who feel safer because of them. Claudia Bottom lived that kind of life. She passed yesterday, with her daughter Jana at her side, listening to her final breaths.

Claudia grew up grounded by her parents, Elvina and Homer Nickell. They owned a small neighborhood grocery store called Nickell’s in Bridgeport, Nebraska. It was the kind of store where people were known by name and treated fairly, because that is how Elvina and Homer believed life should be lived. That sense of responsibility and care shaped Claudia and flowed naturally into the lives of her children, Jana, Bob, and Billy.

Life took Claudia on a winding road. Her husband left the family farm and became a highly skilled pilot, and together they moved their family to Wyoming. Like many families, theirs faced moments that were harder than expected. The disappointment of divorce changed everyone, asking each of them to grow up in new ways. Through it all, Claudia stayed present. She adjusted, carried on, and continued to care deeply for her children.

With the help of her parents, Claudia became a steady presence in the lives of her grandchildren. She was there. She paid attention. She made sure they felt looked after. Jana, Bob, and Billy, and later their children, all grew up knowing what it felt like to be cared for without conditions or fanfare.

Claudia attended Colorado Women’s College, something she spoke of often and with pride. She was a storyteller by nature. She always had one more story to tell. Her years working in the school system gave her plenty of material and even more friendships that stayed close throughout her life. She had a way of drawing people in with humor, honesty, and timing that felt just right.

From dancing at the Beacon Club to taking her grandson Joshua to Sunday church, Claudia did things her own way. She did not worry much about expectations. She paid attention to what mattered. And she showed up for the people she loved.

Our family is deeply grateful to Hospice and Transitions for the care, dignity, and grace they showed Claudia and all of us during her final days.

As we think about her life now, these words from Shakespeare feel especially fitting:“For in that sleep of death what dreams may come.”

Whatever dreams await Claudia, they will surely include familiar places, remembered moments, and a few good stories, just the way she would have liked it.

To share a memory of Claudia or leave a special message for the family, please visit the guestbook below.