Annette Nelson

Annette Avery Nelson, 83, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away October 12, 2009. She was born October 22, 1925 in Little Rock to Percy Graham Anderson and Annette Avery Wood Anderson. Her paternal grandparents were John William Anderson and Ora Farris and maternal grandparents were John Daniel Wood and Margaret McDonald.
Avery was one of five children. Her sisters, Farris Pickerrell and Elizabeth Kjeldgaard, preceded her in death. Her surviving brothers are Percy G. Anderson of Wyoming and James D. Anderson of California. She had two children, Annette Avery Denton and husband, Robert H. Denton of Arlington,Texas and Leroy Victor Nelson of North Little Rock, Arkansas. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Amanda Seipel, Elizabeth Kirshner, Shawn Brown, Meredith Metz, Victor Nelson, Jason Denton and Tyler Denton and twelve great- grandchildren, Danielle Seipel, Cayson Seipel, Ian Seipel, Veronica Seipel, Victoria Kirshner, Blake Kirshner, Kaleb Metz, Kylie Metz, Kaydence Metz, Taylor Brown, Merritt Denton and Sydney Denton.
Avery grew up in El Dorado, Arkansas and attended El Dorado High School. She graduated from Bethesda Chevy Chase High School due to the federal government requesting her father's services during WWII. Her father, Percy Anderson, was responsible for routing all the petroleum to the east coast for D-Day. She was a 1947 honor graduate of the University of Alabama with a chemistry degree.
She married Leroy Victor Nelson in El Dorado on September 5, 1947. She was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church since 1955 and taught Sunday school for 50 years to children, youth and adults. She served as president of the United Methodist Women for several years.
Avery was a member of Centennial Chapter of the DAR, the Maumelle Sailing Club, Pleasant Valley and Riverdale Country Clubs, as well as the Little Rock Athletic Club. She was a troop leader of Girl Scouts, taking a group of girls from Brownies to Senior Scouts. She was also a leader of Webelo Boy Scouts when no one else was available. She worked for Lion Refinery and Chemical Plant in El Dorado, Kansas City Testing Lab, Kansas City, Missouri, Arkansas State Health Department as a Food and Drug Chemist. She taught math for one year at Forest Heights Junior High School, tutored math and chemistry, as well as worked at the Yarn Mart and H&R Block. Her most beloved occupation was that of wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Services will be Wednesday, October 14 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 2223 Durwood Rd., officiated by Rev. Blake Bradford. Visitation will be this evening, Tuesday, from 6-8 p.m. at Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct. (NW corner I-630 and Barrow Rd.), Little Rock. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul UMC, Alzheimer's Arkansas, 10411 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205 or Girl Scouts, 615 W. 29th, No. Little Rock, AR 72114.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501)224-2200. Mrs. Nelson's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com