Joyce CreliaNelson

 Joyce Crelia Nelson left our presence on earth peacefully early Tuesday morning at her ranch in Celina on February 19, 2008. She led a full 84 years of life, mostly in Texas as a devoted sibling, daughter, wife, aunt, rancher, nurse and friend to many. Joyce was born on March 26, 1925 in Tioga Texas to Wallace Leslie and Lillian Maye Crelia. She was raised in Greenville, Texas amongst three brothers and two sisters and attended Greenville Highschool, and then went onto Texas Tech to acquire a nursing degree. She used her nursing skills in the war years, where she met her husband, Lt. Col. M.L. Nelson, Air Force who was a Methodist chaplain, and they enjoyed 51 years of marriage together. She was an athlete as she competed in golf and bowling tournaments in Europe and the United States during their tour of duty with the Airforce, and she also competed and won numerous horse barrel racing events after returning to Texas. She and her husband brought the first Charlais cattle to the state of Texas from France, and ran a prosperous ranching operation, Tres Jolie Farms, Celina, for thirty five years. Joyce also enjoyed working at Texas Instruments as a head nurse for many years. She often hosted her nieces and nephews at her ranch in the summers, teaching them horse back riding, cattle ranching, and how to drive a car. She also enjoyed watching Texas Longhorn and Dallas Cowboy football and relished her trips to Big Bend National Park. She was a main care take of both her father and mother in their later years and enjoyed the many family thanksgiving reunions in her later years.
 
Joyce was predeceased by her husband, M.L. Nelson and is survived by her twin brother, Royce Crelia of Medford, New Jersey, sister Hortense Pettigrew of Harrison, Arkansas, and younger brother, Val Gene Crelia of Atlanta, Georgia.  She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her wonderful caretakers, who were like family, Betty, Ophelia and Isabelle, and close neighbors, like the Atkins family.
 

Funeral services will be Saturday at 2 PM at First United Methodist Church Celina under direction of Coker-Mathews Funeral Home and burial will follow at Memoryland Memorial Park in Greenville. Visitation will be on Friday from 4 to 6 PM at First United Methodist Church in Celina.