A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2018, at First Baptist Church, 1112 E. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201. Inurnment will be at Columbia Cemetery at a later date.
She was born on August 8, 1925, in Ralls County, Missouri, the daughter of Chester Arthur and Beulah Ethel (Evans) Rohr, both of whom preceded her in death. She was married on July 14, 1950, at Spencer Creek Baptist Church in Ralls County near Vandalia, to John Knox McCrory, Sr., who preceded her in death in 2009.
Nelda rode a pony to a one-room school for eight years, later graduating from Vandalia High School. While teaching children in a one-room country school, she began taking courses at Hannibal-LaGrange College and University of Missouri -Columbia. After graduating in 1949 from MU, Nelda taught elementary school children in Brentwood, MO and Columbia Public Schools. Later, she was Box Office Manager for the UMC Concert Series until her retirement in 1985. Nelda was an industrious homemaker, tending large flower and vegetable gardens, and canning 200 jars of produce in earlier years. She knitted afghan throws while she and Knox wintered in Rio Grande Valley, Texas. During their 58-year marriage, Knox and Nelda extensively traveled, visiting 45 states. Volunteerism through organizations played an important part in Nelda's life, including service in Heimwig Garden Club, Audubon Society Westerners, D.A.R., Genealogical Society, Meals on Wheels, and Boone County Historical Society.
She is survived by: her children: John Knox McCrory, Jr. of Columbia, Sally (Jim) Allen of Wildwood, MO, Jim (MaeLynn) McCrory of Barrington, IL, and Nancy (Rob) Nelson of Leawood, KS; grandchildren: Sarah Nelson, Rachel (Ross) Boden, David Nelson, Britt Skaathun, Tory Skaathun, Lindsay (Brian) Dilger, and Brian (Amanda) Allen; great grandchildren: Clark Dilger, Finnian Allen and Emmeline Allen; two nephews: Cary (Judy) Rohr and Kerwin (Barb) Rohr. Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by one brother, Eugene Mitchell Rohr.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Boone County Historical Society, 3801 Ponderosa Street, Columbia, MO 65201 or First Baptist Church, 1112 E. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18