Our sweet mother and grandmother, Florence Esther (Soto) Nelson, 81, passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 19, 2025, leaving a void her family cannot fill.
Born April 8, 1943, in Alton. Daughter of Edward C. and Esther (Moreno) Soto.
She married her soulmate, Ronald Wayne Nelson Sr. Jan. 10, 1961; he preceded her in death May 9, 2024.
Flo worked for the Roxana School District for 23 years where she took special joy in being ‘mom’ to every student she encountered. Her volunteer work for sporting events and extracurricular activities, most notably, After Prom parties was legendary. She was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church and loved being able to share her creativity and artistic talents in the Women of Worship’s craft group supporting it’s missions.
Her love of music and movies was something she passed down to her grandchildren, creating cherished memories through special movie dates. But her true passion in life was making every day magical for her family. Of all the holidays, Christmas was her favorite—she was famous for baking cookies and treats, not just for her loved ones but for neighbors as well, ensuring that everyone around her felt the magic of the season.
She will be remembered for her compassion for people and animals, her kind heart, infectious laugh and the beautiful smile she always had on her face.
She was the heart of our home and family and is survived by her children, Cathy (Ted) Toner of Rosewood Heights, Ron Nelson, Jr. of Wood River, Ken Nelson of Smithville, TN, Joey (Tammy) Nelson of Monterey, TN, Kimberly Ludwig of Yorktown, VA, and Don (Diana) Nelson of Liberty, TN; 10 grandchildren, Ashley (Nate) Kamp, Jessica (Michael) Rowell, Jake (Jessica) Toner, Zach Toner, Eric Nelson, Christian Nelson, Sydney (Michael) Sturgiou, John Tyler Ludwig, Jordan Ludwig, and Nick (Kelly) Bramlet; 11 great grandchildren, Keegan Rowell, Reese Rowell, Everly Rowell, Sutton Rowell, Kendall Kamp, Karsyn Kamp, Knox Kamp, Jocelyn Toner, Nora Toner, Sophia Nelson, and Maddie Clark; and two sisters, Patricia Stuart of Toledo, IL and Cathy Beiser of Buckeye, AZ as well as her very special nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; a granddaughter, Samantha Nelson; three brothers, Jesse Soto, David Soto and John Soto; and two sisters, Sophia Sheafor and Lucy VanHyning and son-in-law Edward Ludwig.
A memorial visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of services at 11 a.m., Monday March 31, 2025 at Paynic Home for Funerals in Rosewood Heights.
The family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Cedarhurst of Bethalto and Dover Hospice for the love and care they provided.
Memorial donations may be given to the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, or Siteman Cancer Center. An online guestbook is available at www.paynicfh.com.
