Nancy Lee Coleman

Nancy Martin was born on February 7, 1935, in Liberty, Mississippi. Her parents, Icy and Charley Martin, raised her there with her siblings until her teenage years when she moved to Kansas City, Kansas to live with her brother Lamar.

Nancy graduated from high school in Kansas City, Kansas and then moved to the bustling city of Chicago, Illinois. Her sister Johnnie was already there and welcomed her to the city. She wasn’t alone long, however, because shortly after arriving, she met debonair Claude Coleman, Jr in September 1952 and they were married February 14, 1953. They lived on the West side of Chicago for several years before moving to the South side and having one daughter, Marsha.

Nancy worked as a secretary/administrative assistant at Welcor and Resurrection Lutheran Church/School for many years before dedicating her time, energy, and love as a stay-at-home wife and mother. In 1982, the family moved to Dallas, Texas where she worked as an administrative assistant at DART. She later retired.

After caring for her husband who suffered and then succumbed to maladies related to Alzheimer’s Disease, Nancy became a tireless fighter against this terrible disease and founded a caregiver’s group into which she poured countless hours as well as her heart and soul.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Lamar, Arlevia, and William, and two husbands, Claude Coleman, Jr. and Paul Zacharias.

Survivors include one child, Marsha Johnson; two grandchildren: Barron and Hailey; one forever son-in-law: Barry K. Johnson; three sisters: Bessie Horton, Johnnie Hughes, and Doris Jackson; one brother-in-law, Robert Jackson; sisters-in-law Anna B. Smith, Willa Mae Folmar, Rose M. Ross; brothers-in-law Sammy Coleman and Robert L. Coleman; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other family members.