Cheryl Jane Willingham Nelson

Cheryl Jane Willingham Nelson was born November 23, 1945, in Holdenville, Oklahoma, and passed away peacefully on July 31, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Jane was the third of six children born to Raymond and Reba Willingham. She attended Fairview Elementary School through the sixth grade, when her family moved to Maud, Oklahoma. She then attended Maud High School, graduating in 1964.

Jane attended East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, then transferred to Oklahoma State University. She married Ronald Nelson, of Carrier, on May 22, 1966 in the Bennett Memorial Chapel. Jane graduated from OSU in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics. Following graduation, Jane briefly lived in Killeen, Texas, where her husband Ronald was stationed at Fort Hood. Once the couple returned to Oklahoma, Jane taught home economics at Red Rock High School and then Carrier High School. Jane left teaching when she became a mother, and stayed home with her three children, Amber, Ryan and Amanda for several years. During this time, Jane obtained a Master of Science in Psychology from Northwestern Oklahoma University in Alva, Oklahoma and in 1986, Jane began working for the Garfield County Department of Human Services, as a social worker. Jane spent several years working for DHS before moving to the Oklahoma Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, where she found deep purpose in her work. Jane was eventually named Administrator of the Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Department, a role she took great pride in, knowing the difference it made in so many lives. She worked there until her retirement in 2011.

Throughout her life, Jane was very active in her community and church. Jane served at North Garland Church of Christ, teaching Sunday School, hosting youth events, and participating in many church activities. Jane also gave ten years of service to the Chisholm School District Board of Education, work she was proud of and committed to.

Jane moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, in 2013, to be near her grandchildren, after her husband Ronald’s death. In Edmond, Jane became an active member of the Teal Ridge community and Memorial Road Church of Christ. Throughout her life, Jane loved spending time in the mountains of Colorado, attending her children and grandchildren’s sports events where she could be heard yelling very loudly, and working on the family farm.

Jane is preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Ronald Nelson, her parents Raymond and Reba Willingham, and her father and mother-in-law Roy and Nellie Fern Nelson. Jane is survived by her children and their spouses, Amber and Jason Davis, of Edmond; Ryan and Susan Nelson of Edmond; and Amanda and Joshua Lemieux of Destin, Florida; brothers Alton Willingham of Moore, Steven Willingham and wife Kristy of Stillwater and Ross Willingham and wife Candace of Stillwater; and sisters Joyce Uhlich of Edmond, and Janet Lang and husband Robert of Shawnee, and sister-in-law Denise Jones. Jane is also survived by eight grandchildren: Grace and husband Peyton Oehlhof of Norman, Claire, Kate and Brynn Davis of Edmond, Rhett, Luke and Sam Nelson of Edmond, and Levi Brandon of San Diego, California, and one great-grandchild, Eloise Fern Oehlhof of Norman. Jane leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who loved her dearly and have fond memories of the fun and laughter that they shared.

Memorials may be made to "The Ron Nelson Farm" in Naval, the Philippines, care of the North Garland Church of Christ, or Lariat Creek Christian Camp.

To make a donation in Jane’s name you can mail a check to the addresses below. Please be sure to indicate on the memo line that it is a Memorial Donation for Jane.

Donations can be mailed to:
Lariat Creek Christian Camp
c/o Amy McCracken
30605 Aaron Way
Cashion, OK 73016

Donations may also be made online via CashApp, PayPal or Square
https://lariatcreek.org/donate

The Ron Nelson Farm
c/o North Garland Church of Christ
703 N. Garland Rd.
Enid, OK 7303

Public Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 from 5:00 until 800 p.m. with family present to greet friends from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Graveside service will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Carrier, Oklahoma on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. with Celebration of Life to follow at 11:00 a.m. at North Garland Church of Christ in Enid, Oklahoma.