At an early age her family moved to Rosedale, Ill., where she attended a one-room school house. She graduated from Jersey County High School and went on to become a registered nurse, graduating from Alton Memorial School of Nursing. After nurses training she met and married the love of her life, Charles Nelson. They were married in St. Charles, Mo., in 1949. She and Charles worked together, incorporating Pioneer Construction Company and raising their family of seven children.
In 1974, they moved to Moab, Utah, where they purchased King’s Bottom Ranch and the “Egg Ranch.” Lucy’s Strictly Fresh Eggs were distributed to all the restaurants and grocery stores in town. In 1977, they started Western Home Sales. For the next 11 years they worked together selling new and used mobile homes. Side by side, they owned and operated several mobile home parks and developed Kane Springs Campground.
Lucy’s unswerving faith in Jesus was demonstrated in the way she lived her life through praying, serving and loving her family, friends and community. She was also dedicated in supporting missions at home and abroad.
She will be sadly missed by her husband, Charles, of 63 years, her children, Connie (Craig) Heath, of Fallon, Nev., Jim (Brenda), Debbie, Ed (Debbie), and Anne (Larry) Walden, all of Moab, Ruth (Mike) Boersma of Ceres, Calif., Mary (Kevin) Conrad of Fruita, Colo., her sisters, Isabel Cory of Killeen, Texas and Josephine Egelhoff of Hartford, Ill., 10 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Minnie Stafford, and her infant brother, Marvin Stafford.
A celebration of her life will be held Friday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. at the First Assembly of God, 1205 S. Boulder Ave., in Moab. A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 at Spanish Valley Mortuary, 386 North 100 West, Moab.
To honor her memory the family suggests donating to an organization that was dear to her heart: Arches New Hope Pregnancy Center, P.O. Box 1148, Moab, UT 84532.