When you talk about a man who lived to be 101, "age" starts to feel like a relative concept. Russell M. Nelson, the former President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was basically a walking masterclass in longevity. But while the world focused on his vigorous pace and his surgical precision even into his nineties, many people often find themselves curious about the private life behind the pulpit. Specifically, the kids. When a father hits the century mark, how old does that make his "children"?
If you're asking how old is President Nelson's oldest child, you’re looking for Marsha Nelson Workman.
As of early 2026, Marsha Nelson Workman is 77 years old.
She was born in July 1948. To put that into perspective, when Marsha was born, her father was still in the thick of his medical training, long before he became a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon or a global religious leader. She’s the eldest of a massive crew—ten children in total.
The Timeline of a Very Full House
Honestly, the Nelson family tree is a bit of a marathon. Marsha arrived just three years after Russell M. Nelson married Dantzel White in the Salt Lake Temple in 1945. Think about the world in 1948 for a second. Truman was president. The Big Bang theory was first proposed in a paper. And in a small corner of the world, the man who would eventually lead millions of members was just a young dad starting his family.
After Marsha, the Nelsons didn't exactly slow down. They had nine more children over the next two decades.
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It’s a lopsided group, though. Out of the ten kids, nine are daughters.
- Marsha (the oldest)
- Wendy (born 1951, passed away in 2019)
- Gloria
- Brenda
- Sylvia
- Emily (born 1958, passed away in 1995)
- Laurie
- Rosalie
- Marjorie
- Russell Jr. (the baby of the family, born in 1972)
Yes, you read that right. There is a 24-year age gap between Marsha, the oldest, and Russell Jr., the youngest. By the time Russell Jr. was born, Marsha was already a young adult, likely navigated her own path through marriage and starting a family.
Who is Marsha Nelson Workman?
While some "celebrity" kids live in the spotlight, Marsha has largely kept a low profile, though she’s often seen at major family events or church milestones. She married Richard Workman, and together they’ve contributed significantly to that famous "Nelson Army" of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
If you’ve ever seen the photos of President Nelson surrounded by a sea of people during his 100th birthday celebration in September 2024, Marsha was right there at the helm. Being the oldest in a family of ten isn't just a birth order; in a family like the Nelsons, it’s a leadership role.
She’s often shared anecdotes about her father's "teaching moments." One famous story involves a family road trip where, instead of just playing "I Spy," President Nelson spent the time teaching Marsha and her siblings about Latin roots in the English language. That tells you everything you need to know about the Nelson household—education and discipline were woven into the fabric of daily life.
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Navigating Loss in a Large Family
It hasn't all been celebratory milestones and long lives. While Marsha is currently 77, she has actually outlived two of her younger sisters.
The family was hit hard when Emily Nelson Wittwer passed away in 1995 at the age of 37 after a battle with cancer. Then, in 2019, the second-oldest daughter, Wendy Nelson Maxfield, also passed away. For Marsha, being the oldest means carrying the torch of the first generation of Nelson children, especially after the passing of their mother, Dantzel, in 2005, and their father in late 2025.
Understanding the Age Gap
It’s kinda wild to think that Marsha is nearly 80. When people ask "how old is President Nelson's oldest child," they often expect a number in the 60s. But because President Nelson lived such an exceptionally long life, his "children" are now senior citizens themselves.
To break it down:
- Marsha (77): The 1940s baby.
- Russell Jr. (53): The 1970s baby.
- The Middle Group: Mostly in their late 50s and 60s.
This spread explains why the family seems to be everywhere. With 10 children, 57 grandchildren, and well over 160 great-grandchildren, the Nelson legacy is less of a family tree and more of a small forest.
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The "Nelson Way" of Aging
There’s a reason people are so curious about Marsha’s age. We tend to look at the children to see how the parents' "secrets" held up. President Nelson was famous for his "active" lifestyle—skiing into his 90s, taking the stairs, and never stopping.
Marsha and her siblings seem to have inherited that drive. Whether it's through church service, professional careers, or managing a massive extended family, the "oldest child" in this dynamic isn't just sitting back.
What You Should Know Now
If you’re looking into the Nelson family history for research, genealogy, or just out of curiosity about the late prophet's life, here are the key takeaways:
- The Keyword Answer: Marsha Nelson Workman, the oldest child, is 77 years old (born July 1948).
- The Family Scope: She is the eldest of ten.
- The Current Status: Following the death of President Russell M. Nelson in September 2025 at age 101, Marsha remains one of the primary keepers of the family’s private history.
- The Legacy: She has 8 living siblings, as two sisters (Wendy and Emily) predeceased their father.
If you're interested in more than just the numbers, you can look into the various talks and interviews given by the Nelson children on the "Church News" podcast. They offer a pretty rare glimpse into what it was like growing up with a man who was simultaneously a world-class heart surgeon and a dedicated father who apparently made a mean "shampoo train" during bath time for the younger kids.
To get a better sense of the family's impact, you might want to look up the official biography Insights from a Prophet’s Life by Sheri Dew. It goes into much more detail about Marsha's early years and the challenges the family faced while their father was pioneering heart surgery in the 1950s.
Next Steps: You can verify these dates by checking the official Church Newsroom timeline of President Nelson’s life, which specifically marks the birth of his first child in 1948. If you're building a genealogy chart, remember that several of the daughters' surnames have changed through marriage, so searching for "Marsha Workman" will yield more current results than "Marsha Nelson."