Roberta “Kay” (Jones) Nelson was born to Robert and Mavis Helen Jones on January 20, 1947 in Hamilton, Texas. Heaven gained an angel on June 28, 2024 when Kay entered her eternal home. Services to celebrate Kay’s life will be held at the Lanham Methodist Church on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 at 11:00 am with Pastor Rita Hotz officiating. Visitation will precede the service at 10:00 am at the church. Burial to immediately follow the service at the Lanham cemetery.
Kay grew up in the Lanham community outside of Hamilton, Texas. She graduated from Hamilton High School and attended Tarleton State University.
After her marriage to Gerald Nelson, she moved to Austin,Texas and later settled in Waco. She had one daughter, Melissa, from her marriage to Gerald. For many years she ran a home daycare and later worked for the Waco Tribune Herald for a number of years. She then invested her time purchasing and running a few dollar stores in Waco. After closing business, she moved back to her childhood home in Lanham to care for her parents until their passing. She remained in Lanham and enjoyed her community there with nearby family, friends, her church, and her sister until her health declined.
Kay was a lifelong Christian and believer in Christ. She had a very kind, caring, and generous heart and was always willing to help when she saw someone in need. She was a long time member of Woodway First United Methodist Church in Waco and later the Lanham Methodist Church after moving back to her childhood home. She was very active at her church in Lanham helping to organize various social and holiday events and welcome new visitors in the community. She was also known as the church gardener in Lanham. She spent countless hours, almost daily, on the church and cemetery grounds pulling weeds, planting and tending to flowers, shrubs and trees. She always made sure that various graves in the cemetery had flowers on them. She loved when people driving by the church would see her out in the church lawn and stop by for a chat. She would always offer for them to come into the church and have a soda.
One of Kay’s greatest loves in life was being MeeMaw to Andrew, Bailey, and Lauren Lynn. She loved spending time with them and spoiling them. Kay was blessed to welcome her first great grandchild into this world in January 2023
We are so blessed that God gave us Kay in this world, and she will be missed so much until we see each other again.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents and brother-in-law, David Holley.
She is survived by her daughter, Melissa Lynn and son-in-law, Mike, of China Spring; grandchildren Andrew Lynn and wife Chelsea of Waco, Bailey Lynn and wife Chloe of Waco, and Lauren Lynn of China Spring; great granddaughter, Elise Lynn; sister Helen Marie Holley of Hamilton; niece Lisa Jackson of Hamilton, and many other cousins, family, and friends.
Pallbearers are Mike Lynn, Andrew Lynn, Bailey Lynn, Eric Allen, Glenn Jones, and Mark Reuter.
The family would like to thank Mike and Debo Haynes of Lanham for the years they helped watch over and help Kay around her house while she was still living at home early in her illness. They would also like to thank Elizabeth Merino for the compassionate care she gave Kay.
Any memorials may be made to Lanham Methodist Church or the Hamilton General Hospital Healthcare Foundation.
