Honoring the iconic Trans-Evangelist, Sister Paula

Please help us with memorial and burial costs of Trans Evangelist Sister Paula as well as continue sharing her message as we celebrate her remarkable life.

My name is Teresa and l am Sister Paula Nielsen’s sister. On June 30th I received the heartbreaking news that my sister had passed away unexpectedly in her home, just two weeks before we would celebrate her 84th birthday. It is my hope to honor and memorialize her in a way that speaks to the remarkable life she lived. With her passing we can further spread her love and her messages, just as she lived to do this. As Paula said, "If my story can make it a little bit easier for future generations, then my life and my being here has not been in vain." Let's keep shining light on the woman and icon who has touched so many people! We need your help to do this!

Sister Paula lived a life that was rich in every imaginable way except financially. Her generosity and devotion to her work left nothing for herself. She had no insurance or savings for end-of-life expenses. Our family is simply not capable of paying for even basic costs. We hope that her death will give us the opportunity to not just memorialize her, but to share her spirit and messages one more time. Please help us to share her message as we celebrate her remarkable life. I will explain the financial help we need below, but first here's a little more about my sister:

Sister Paula was a pioneer for the trans community. At the age of 25 (in 1965), she began living full-time as a woman: "I knew I was being the person God created me to be." Sister Paula lived her life out loud with the light shining upon her despite a society that wanted her to hide in the shadows. Over the years she became a public figure and icon as our beloved Trans-Evangelist. From performing at Darcell's to preaching on cable access TV and youtube, authoring groundbreaking books (especially her autobiography), and so much more. Paula has been a public transgender figure based in Portland for decades. Her work has paved the way for generations through her ministry, advocacy, many varied performances, and interviews with friends and celebrities alike. She was fundamentally involved in the formation of the trans community as we know it now. Her accomplishments are simply too many to list! In her memoir, The Trans-Evangelist: The Life and Times of a Transgender Pentecostal Preacher, Sister Paula opens up her life, sharing the good and the bad alike with staggering honesty. This book is also a rare historical accounting of LGBTQ+ life from 1938 to today!

Paula wrote: "When l meet Jesus face to face, I will stand before God as a sinner, totally dependent on the grace and mercy of God. I will say "Nothing in my hand l bring, simply to thy cross l cling.""

l know she is in the arms of God now.❤️

Here is how you can get involved and help us:

1. Donate! The list of expenses is below.

2. Share this page! Even if you or your friends can't donate, we want to get the word out and help Sister Paula to be remembered.

3. Come to her memorial service. August 6th, at 1pm. Located at First Baptist Church, 909 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97205

4.Buy her book! We have some copies and it can also be found online.

5. Share anything about Sister Paula! Talk about her with your friends to keep her messages and light alive! She has interviews and videos online. This one with Davey Wavey is a hoot. Here is an awesome article. A Strange Universe interview is here

6. Below is a list of organizations that Paula loved, and we urge anyone to donate or get involved if you can.

The financial help we need. The nitty gritty:

In addition to her burial, we need to make sure her grave is marked with a headstone. We plan to hold a celebration of life at Darcell's in downtown Portland (with date and details to be shared in the future).

Burial costs: Paula had a natural burial, ensuring that in the spirit of 'dust to dust, ashes to ashes,' her body will naturally return to the soil and continue to be part of the earth. The cost of preparation and burial: $6,915

Headstone: (Not yet acquired!) Minimum cost: $2400

(Unfortunately the headstone can't be placed until it is paid off in full, so her grave is currently unmarked. We would obviously like to remedy this asap.)

These items alone total $9,315.

Some bills of Paula's also need to be paid, including her home's rent.

Additionally, we anticipate costs for her memorial service, and when we host a Celebration of Life at Darcell's there will be costs, but we don't know those yet.

If we are blessed with donations that exceed our costs we will allocate any excess funds to her most loved charities. Here is a list of those, also shared for anyone who may like to donate or get involved directly with them:

1. Trans Lifeline : Trans Lifeline provides trans peer support for our community that’s been divested from police since day one. We’re run by and for trans people. One service we provide is microgrants. Microgrants provide trans and nonbinary people with low-barrier funds and support to correct names and/or gender markers on identifying legal documents, and supply necessities for our trans siblings behind bars.

2.. TransActive Gender Project :

The TransActive Gender Project at Lewis & Clark provides a holistic range of services and expertise to empower transgender and gender expansive children, youth, and their families in living healthy lives that are free of discrimination.

3. Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition (OSSCC): Our work supports community efforts to reduce youth suicide and other risk behaviors in the often hidden and historically underserved gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth population. Although the primary focus of OSSCC is sexual orientation and gender identity issues, we recognize the harm caused by harassment, violence, and discrimination of any kind.

4. SMYRC : Here at SMYRC, we provide a safe, harassment-free space for queer and trans youth ages 13-23, where you can create art, play music, and join in on our open mic nights, drag shows, and support groups. You can access services like counseling, school support, and much more. Whatever you are looking for, we are here to honor, empower, and support you.

5. The Trevor Project : The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. It focuses on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a confidential service that offers trained counselors.

6. William Temple House : William Temple House provides food, counseling, clothing, and household items to Portland-area neighbors to strengthen our community.

Our family has some copies of her books, most notably, The Trans-Evangelist: The Life and Times of a Transgender Pentecostal Preacher. These are for sale and the money will go towards her memorial. Please contact me to purchase!