Nancy Ann Thompson Vance was born on July 10, 1938 to Noah Clayton Thompson and Lola Mae Bradley Thompson near Rusk, Tx in Cherokee County. When Nancy was just 8 years old she and her mom and two siblings moved from their share cropping farm in deep East Texas to the big coastal city of Freeport, Tx where Lola found work as a cook. They lived in Camp Chemical for a short time. Nancy graduated from Brazosport High School and held several interesting jobs including weighing produce at the Henke & Pillot grocery store as well as connecting telephone calls as a switchboard operator for Southwestern Bell. She married her high school sweetheart, Melvin Morris Vance of Lake Jackson, Tx and they made their home in Clute, Tx with their 3 children: Cheryl Mae, Robert Clay, and Celita Ann.
Nancy was a talented seamstress, a wonderful cook, and followed her passion for all things artistic including playing piano, painting, craft making, antique collecting, and her favorite: going to hear live music, especially if they let her dance!
She is preceded in death by her parents, her 10 siblings (Eli, Elvira, Delena, James, George, Gertrude, Clayton, Bonnie Pearl, Noah Cobble and Mary), her husband Melvin M. Vance, and son Robert C. Vance.
Left to remember her are her daughters Cheryl M. Kiser (James) of Jones Creek, Tx and Celita Vance Ávila (Victor) of Terceira, Portugal, her granddaughter Jamie Elizabeth Morton (Brian) of Clute, Tx, and great granddaughter Khloé Elizabeth Morton of Clute, Tx.
Funeral service will be led by Pastor Thomas Lester and will be held at Restwood Funeral Home in Clute, Tx on August 22, 2026 . Visitation for family and friends is at 10:00 am with service starting at 10:30 am. Private burial immediately following.
