Lela Nance

Lela Angeline Kelly Nance

Lifetime Pecos resident and 1994 West of the Pecos Pioneer Family member Lela Kelly Nance, age 93, passed away on Friday, November 22, 2013, at Reeves County Hospital with her family at her side.

Lela was born to Lenora Antoinette Huelster and Thomas Martin Kelly on September 27, 1920, in Lorenzo, Crosby County, Texas. She was the secondborn of ten children and the first of 7 daughters. She was very proud to be a native Texan and even prouder to be a citizen of Pecos, even though she was the only Kelly child who was not born in Pecos much to her chagrin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving and faithful husband of 38 years, James D Pete Nance, brothers Henry Herman, Billy Ray and Eugene Joseph, sisters Earline Frances Garrett, Evelyn Rose Kelly, Tommie Maxine Tokarczyk, Lilly Mae Oren, and Lenora Zerelda Blanchard, and very special great nephews Ronald Ian Hord and Michael Travis Kelly.

Lela is survived by her sister, Joann Kelly Malett of Alamagordo, NM, daughters Polly Nance of Pecos, TX, Gail Criswell Jim of Del Rio, TX, son Tom Nance of Payne Springs, TX, nephew Terry Don Kelly Kim of Sterling City, TX, niece Karen Kelly Hord Ronnie of San Angelo, TX, 11 grandchildren, 14 greatgrandchildren, and one greatgreat grandchild, several first cousins and a multitude of nieces, nephews and lifelong friends.

A rosary will be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 26, at the Pecos Funeral Home and a Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, November 27, at Saint Catherines Catholic Church in Pecos.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the West of the Pecos Museum, Saint Catherines Catholic Church, The Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame in Pecos, or the charity of your choice.