Duella Jo Nelson

Duella Jo Carpenter Nelson, 89, of Independence, MO passed from this life on Thursday, October 23, 2025. She was born on May 7, 1936, in Dekalb, TX, to Mona Ona Gamble Carpenter and Admiral Dewey Carpenter. She is survived by one brother, Lloyd Carpenter of Independence, MO, a daughter, Karen Nelson Estes-Blakeney of Independence a son, Aubrey L. Nelson Jr. of Bates City. She has a granddaughter, Tish Estes Troutman, husband Derek of Tool, TX (Three great granddaughters, Faith Troutman of Tool, TX, Grace Troutman of Brooklyn, NY, and Trinity Troutman of Dallas, TX), a second granddaughter, Roxanne Estes Evans and husband Aaron Evans of Lee's Summit, MO (4 great grandsons, Mitchell Evans and wife Maddi Evans of Kansas City, MO, Sgt. Dylan Evans of Anchorage, AK, Ryan Evans of Lee's Summit, MO, and Spencer Evans of Lee's Summit, MO). She has a Daughter-in-law, Teresa Nelson-Peck of New Hampshire (2 grandsons, Colin Nelson-Peck and Aiden Nelson-Peck of New Hampshire). She has a Sister-in-Law, Pat Slone of Arkansas.

Duella Jo was preceded in death by her mother and father, her husband, Aubrey L. Nelson Sr., her youngest son, Ricky L. Nelson, and five brothers and sisters, James Carpenter, Carl Glyn Carpenter, Joyce Capenter Gardener, Wanda Carpenter Richardson, and Patricia Carpenter Quisenberry. She loved all her family very much.

Her family was financially poor after World War II, and it took the whole family to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table for 9 people. For a time, they lived in a shack on a cotton farm in a work camp. The family, excluding the youngest children, all hoed and picked cotton. At seven years of age, Duella proved to the supervisor she could hoe well enough to earn ½ pay and began working with the rest of the family. As time went on all the siblings found other jobs and still contributed to the family. The boys went to the service and the girls all married young.

Duella Jo lived for many years of her childhood in Texas. She and her family were baptized by Z.Z. Renfroe and Hubert Case into the RLDS church and attended the Stanton, TX branch.

She met her husband, Aubrey in Big Springs, TX. He lived across the street from her family. He would whistle at her every time he saw her come and go from her house. He finally worked up the nerve to meet her. They spent time dancing on skates at the local tent skating rink and enjoying time with friends and family. They married in Portales, New Mexico because they were two young to marry in Texas. She was 16 years old and he was 18 years old. They got married in front of a minister in a church. No Justice of the Peace for Duella Jo!

Aubrey and Duella Jo followed his mother, Bessie, to Oklahoma. They raised their three children there. Aubrey drove a truck for a living and provided adequately for her to stay home and raise her children until they had almost finished school. She did work a little after the youngest son started high school. She was a wonderful mother. There was never a Sunday or Wednesday that we were not in church except for illness. She was always involved in anything that was happening in the church, such as fundraising with women's department to pay off the building, bible schools, camps, reunions, women's retreats, etc.

In their later years as empty nesters, when Aubrey had a union trucking job and returned from his run, they would hitch up his boat to the truck and head to the lake fishing or take the grandkids and keep them while Karen worked. For a while Duella Jo worked in the Center Place Restoration School (CPRS) as a cook. She loved the children and supported the school for years.

On their 50th wedding anniversary, since they had not had a wedding, the kids surprised them with a vow renewal including a wedding dress, flowers, cakes, and the whole experience. Friends and family attended. They both loved it.

When Aubrey retired from truck driving, they sold their house and all their belongings, bought a fifth wheel, and went to South Padre Island, TX and Arizona for a while. After a few years, Aubrey fell and broke a hip and they returned to Independence, MO. After he was well enough to work again, he talked Duella Jo into getting her CDL license and team driving with him. He could always talk her into anything she didn't think she could do. They did that for several years until she announced one day that she needed to return home and wash some dishes and go back to church.

Before Aubrey passed away, she began working for the Independence School District as a Special Needs bus aide. She loved the interaction with the kids on the bus and they loved her. Several of them called her grandma. After retiring from the school district, she began volunteering at the Palmer Center, a Senior Citizen's community center. She went Monday through Friday to prepare drinks and serve food to the daily seniors. She would hug the women and shake the men's hands and help anyone that needed assistance. She had a fall, at the center one day, and that started her Sciatica pain and couldn't remain at the job any longer. She moved in with Karen Blakeney, her daughter, for 2-1/2 years before moving into the Fountains in Independence. Everywhere she went the people and staff had nothing but kind words and love for Duella Jo. She continued to call Waldo Ave Restoration Branch her church. The pain kept her from attending church after that. She continued to call Waldo Ave Restoration Branch her church and told us often that she would never give up the Restoration gospel she believed.