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House members today honored Rep. Mary Nelson of Bethel, who is retiring from the Legislature after this year.

The first was Rep. Reggie Joule of Kotzebue. He stood to talk, then couldn’t.

Joule paused, gathered his words and composure, and started. He talked about being in the minority with Nelson -- they’re both Democrats -- and how she kept pushing and laughing even when their proposals got shot down.

She gets her point across well and has amazing wit, he said. “She sees things around the corner.” She was talking about alternative energy before anyone else, and just before public health became a big concern, she introduced a bill on soda pop.

“People, including me, thought she was nuts,” Joule said. “[But] just introducing the bill made a difference.

“You’ve helped us understand about the diversity of this state,” he said.

When Joule finished, the representatives, secretaries, and everyone else in the room stood and clapped for a long time.

Joule gave Nelson a big basket of flowers and a hug.

Next came Rep. David Guttenberg of Fairbanks. Guttenberg told about the first time he met Nelson. It was in Bethel, and Nelson was campaigning.

She was also pregnant -- “Out to here,” Guttenberg said. Her campaign slogan was “Mary delivers.”

Everyone laughed. Nelson had just finished wiping her eyes. (She gave birth again last month.)

Guttenberg went on. When everyone else was short on temper, he said, Nelson “would say something that was focused and succinct.”

Then came Rep. Beth Kerttula of Juneau, the minority leader. Kerttula started the same year as Nelson and used to share a house with her.

“We’ve worked together, we’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together,” she said. “And I don’t want you to leave.”

After that, a long list of representatives stood to honor Nelson -- Democrats and Republicans: Sharon Cissna, Bill Stoltze, Harry Crawford (“There’s still time to change your mind.”), Woodie Salmon (“She called my hair a Brillo pad. . . . That’s the kind of humor she had.”), Bryce Edgmon, Bob Lynn, Bill Thomas, Les Gara, Peggy Wilson.

Nelson was given a special citation.

Then she got a chance to talk. She said she was very surprised and a little embarrassed.

“I just want to thank all of you,” she said. “It’s a bittersweet feeling leaving after all these years.”