When Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist marry in a televised special Jan. 4, all eyes will be on the new "Golden Bachelor" couple — and their families. Gerry and Theresa both have two children and multiple grandchildren, all of whom are expected to have prominent roles during the wedding.
Over the course of nine episodes, Gerry, the show's lead, and Theresa fell deeply in love, bonding over their shared values and the loss of their respective spouses.
Theresa, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, introduced Gerry to her family during his hometown visit on the reality show.
Get to know her son, daughter and six grandsons before the big day.
Who is Theresa Nist’s daughter?
Theresa has one daughter, Jen Woolston, who met Gerry during hometowns. She also lives in Shrewsbury, New Jersey with her husband Matt and her three children, Dempsey, Leo and Henry.
Woolston revealed in an interview with The Monmouth Moms that she received a master’s degree from Monmouth University in professional counseling and intended to become a school counselor.
However, she is now the owner of VW Booth Bus and The Roving Bar. The VW Booth Bus, nicknamed Poppy, is a 1971 vintage Volkswagen Bus that Woolston and her husband transformed into a photo booth for weddings and parties. The Roving Bar is a vintage Vespa mobile bar owned by Woolston and similarly is rented out for weddings and special events.
Theresa and Jenny, as she’s affectionately known, have a close mother-daughter bond.
Theresa posted for her daughter’s birthday on Instagram on Jan. 4, 2023, writing, “Happy birthday to my beautiful, strong, kind, supportive, loving, super smart, and overall wonderful and amazing daughter, and my best friend, Jennifer Ann!! I could not dream of a better daughter. I love you with all my heart!!! I hope you have the best birthday ever!!!!"
When Gerry visited Theresa's hometown, he met Woolston and her three young boys for the first time.
In a candid interview, Woolston got emotional talking about her mother finding love again — and what that might mean for their own family.
“Normally, she’s here every day pretty much, so we see her a lot. She’s part of our lives. We are a very close knit family and everything like that so I think it would be challenging, but it’s a different scenario. I’m not her parent, I am her child, so I am certainly saying that she can make that decision,” said Woolston.
Who is Theresa Nist's son?
Theresa's son, Tommy, and his wife Amanda live in South Carolina, where Theresa and Gerry expect to move after they marry.
The couple has operated Beach House Boat Rentals in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, since 2010, per the company's website. They have three boys — Brandon, Brody and Braxton — and one dog named River, according to their website.
In November 2023, Theresa posted a series of photos on Instagram with her son and his family, writing, “When my kids were little we took a family vacation to South Carolina just about every summer. My son, Tommy, fell in love with SC and moved there with his wife, Amanda, and boys in 2009! We try to visit as often as we can and always spend Christmas together. Tommy and Amanda own a boat rental business called @beach_house_boat_rentals. If you are ever in the Murrells Inlet area you should rent a boat from them!”
Does Theresa Nist have grandchildren?
Theresa revealed that she has six grandchildren, all of whom are boys. Gerry met three of Theresa grandchildren — Jenny Woolston's sons Dempsey, Leo and Henry — during the hometown visit of “The Golden Bachelor.”
“What do you think about me and your Nana being together?” Gerry asked the boys during their first meeting.
“She comes over a lot because she’s always lonely. It would mean a lot to her if you guys got married,” said one of her grandchildren. It was a sweet moment between Gerry and his future step-grandchildren.
Her other three grandchildren — Brandon, Brody and Braxton — live in South Carolina and did not publicly meet Gerry on “The Golden Bachelor.”
Does Theresa Nist have any siblings?
In addition to her children and grandchildren, Nist has an older sister named Charlotte and a younger sister named Mary. Both Charlotte and Mary met Gerry during his hometown visit on “The Golden Bachelor.”
Charlotte’s first reaction upon meeting Turner was that he was “very warm and genuine.”
“You seem like a perfect fit together,” said Mary.
