Reba Nelson Cassin

Reba Mae Nelson Cassin, 94, of Columbia, died peacefully at home with family members at her side on September 30, 2022.

She was born April 17, 1928, in Liberal, Missouri, to Chester A. and Blanche Runyan Nelson. She graduated from high school in Ottawa, Illinois, and earned a BA in English at the University of Missouri. She married her college sweetheart, Eugene Paul Cassin on February 1, 1950. They lived in Pennsylvania until moving back to Columbia in 1966.

Reba worked as an Academic Advisor for the University of Missouri College of Arts and Sciences for 30 years, where she loved helping students find their majors and life interests. She was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority, Literacy Action Corps, Friends of the Library Book Cart and Calvary Episcopal Church Needlepoint Guild.

Her interests included needlework, sewing, gardening, traveling with family and researching her family genealogy. It is family lore that she is a descendant of Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson’s brother who settled in Illinois from England.

She loved classical music, Broadway musicals, reading history, biographies and British mysteries. She was an expert at cryptograms and crossword and jigsaw puzzles. She loved hosting large family gatherings using her Sunday best china and silverware with lots of good food and conversation. Her smile and laugh will be much missed.

Reba is survived by her four daughters and their families:

• Julie (Phil) Piland, Kate Gary; Andrew (Arti) Piland, Preston, Peyton, Annika; Sara (Tim) Swaim, Austin, Jillian, Lincoln

• Laurel (Frank) Dawson, Stacey (James) Cox, Robert, Isabelle, Mary Kate; Carolyn (Jackson) Beall, Grace; Rob Dawson

• Cary (Mark) Taylor, Chelsea (Brian) Carleton, Adler, Reid; Ryan (Natalie) Taylor, Eliza; Alyssa Taylor, Collins, Vail

• Hilary (Steve) Baumann, Zack (Kim) Baumann, Alexis, Thea; Amanda (Edward) Alviso, Lydia; Max (Jenny) Baumann

She was preceded in death by son, Daniel Elliott, in 1983 and by husband, Gene, on June 5, 2003.