Sheila R. Nelson, 74, of Whitesville, NY, died Sunday, December 20, 2020 in F.F. Thompson Hospital, Canandaigua, NY, following a brief illness with COVID-19.
Born May 3, 1946, in Wellsville, she was the daughter of Lawrence and Esther Smith Nye. She was married in the First United Methodist Church, Whitesville in 1975 and celebrated her 45th wedding anniversary on November 29th with her beloved husband and best friend Donald Nelson, who will miss her deeply. A 1964 graduate of Whitesville Central School, she went to work at Mapes Woodworking and then worked for Dresser-Rand in Wellsville for 25 years.
Surviving besides her husband, Don, are: two sons, Todd (Hollie Hall) Nelson and Curtis Nelson. She was a proud grandmother to her two grandsons, Jake Nelson and Sulivan Nelson. Sheila loved her family and is also survived by three siblings, Sharon (Tom) VanEtten, Dennis (Patricia) Nye, and Connie (John) Vogt; and sisters-in-law, Eleanor Johnston and Anne Nye. She was predeceased by three brothers, Merle Nye, Max (Margo) Nye, and Rex Nye.
Sheila loved being a wife, mom, sister, and grandmother, but she also was a loving aunt, great-aunt, friend, cousin, and neighbor. Loved by many, words to describe her include compassionate, caring, easy-going, and fun! She spent her life dedicated to her community and caring deeply for her family and friends. Sheila loved to visit and took time to reach out and check in on friends. A willing babysitter, she lit up anytime there were little ones around. Sheila had an open-door policy to anyone needing a place to stay or something to eat. While she loved to joke around and laugh, she was always there for friends in hard times, too. She enjoyed finding new recipes and making goodies. Her homemade donuts, caramel popcorn, Christmas cookies, and strawberry jam were favorites of family and friends for years. Her signature donuts were a Memorial Day and Halloween tradition in Whitesville.
The immediate family will hold Funeral Services 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Ulysses, PA. Rev. Dennis Munro will officiate. The public is invited to view by livestream at the bottom of Sheila’s obituary page at www.olneyfoust.com. Burial and committal services will follow in Whitesville Rural Cemetery. The public is invited to pay respects to Sheila and show love and support to Don by driving by her grave at 12:30 p.m. Cards of condolence may be sent to Don at P.O. Box 81, Whitesville, NY 14897.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Whitesville Ladies Auxiliary, P.O. Box 82, Whitesville, NY 14897 or the Whitesville Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 256, Whitesville, NY 14897. Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfoust.com.
