Mrs. Crystal Moring Nelson

Funeral services will be at 2 pm Sunday at Collier-Butler Chapel for Mrs. Crystal Moring Nelson, 51, of Springville, who went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, December 3, 2010. Burial will be at Crestwood Cemetery. Rev. David Denson will officiate. Collier-Butler Funeral and Cremation Services directing.

Crystal was a 1977 graduate of Gadsden High School, Jacksonville State University, and UAB. She was a member of North Glencoe Baptist Church.

Crystal was a dedicated teacher and coach. She taught and coached at schools in Ashville, Moody, Leeds and finished her career at Gadsden City High School. As a teacher and coach she received many awards and accolades but her greatest reward was knowing the difference she was making in the lives of her students. Crystal’s proudest professional accomplishment was being on the coaching staff at Leeds High School for their 2007 State Championship in softball.

Crystal’s teaching career was cut short by illness but not her passion for helping others. During her extended illness Crystal used her gifts to help others by using her time to speak to as many church congregations and women’s organizations as she could about her faith and her journey fighting breast cancer.

Remaining behind to cherish Crystal’s memory will be her husband, Steve Nelson; son, Justin (Jessica) Mayo; daughters, Whitney Andrews and Lauren Green; granddaughter, Alana Andrews; parents, Ted and Dorothy Moring; brothers, Tony (Katrina) Moring, Todd (Leith) Moring, and Jeff (Wendi) Moring; special sister, Paulette Self; chosen son, Jeffrey Morris; sister-in-law, Beverly (Ron) Hayes. Crystal is also blessed to have many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins that she loved tremendously.

Flowers will be accepted; however, memorials are encouraged to American Breast Cancer Foundation, 1220 B East Joppa Rd., Suite 332, Baltimore, MD 21286 or CaringBridge.org.

The family wishes to express special thanks to Classmates of Gadsden High School Class of 1977; Teaching Colleagues; nurses, doctors, and staff of MD Anderson; UAB; and Gadsden Regional Medical Center.

A special thanks to Dr. Lowndes Harrison and Nurse Jerria Carter for their special care.

The family will be receiving friends on Saturday evening from 6 until 8 PM at Collier-Butler Funeral Home. Online condolence may be made at www.collier-butler.com.